Ryu's Trip to the Human World
by Draechaeli
Summary: Sequel to 'On The Banks of a Dying River' Ryu is stuck in the human world. Evil stires once again at Aburaya, trapping Chihiro and Kohaku in the Spirit World. Can Ryu remember her past and make it home, before her home is destroyed? Please Read and Review
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Proper Story Summary: Ryu has an accident in the human world while on a vacation. Ryu turns up missing, while Chihiro and Kohaku are forced to return without their daughter to Aburaya. While at Aburaya evil is stirring to take it over once again, Ryu meets a mysterious boy from her past. Can Ryu help the boy remember his past so he can help her remember hers? A 'Chihiro story' of the next generations with a few different twists.  
  
Author's Note: The story actually wont be posted for awhile. So right now it is just the prologue. I would like people to tell me what they didn't understand from the first story (ex. How Chihiro a human got pregnant with a Spirits child (though I did semi explain that one, it will be better said in this story) Thank you. I hope you enjoy... oh yeah the last two year between first story and this prologue were just a little to peaceful...  
  
~Na  
  
Prologue  
  
"Mom, I don't like this walk anymore," said a five year old boy clinging to his mother's arm.  
  
"And why is that Miki?" asked Miki's mother.  
  
"That tunnel looks scawy," replied Miki.  
  
"Don't worry Miki Daddy is here," replied Miki's father, standing up tall and trying to look strong and manly. They walked around an old moss covered statue, that was so covered in moss that the face carved on it, couldn't have been seen. They walked strait into the red building before them.  
  
The darkness was encompassing, the faint sound of a leaky patch in the roof going plink...plink, and the rustling of the outside leaves gave the tunnel a very eerie feel to it.  
  
The wind whistled through the tunnel pulling the three wonderers back the way they came. The wind whispered in Miki's ear, "Don't eat the food, evil is stirring!" Miki jumped.  
  
"It's just wind Sweetie, look we're almost out of the tunnel," said Miki's mom as the walked into a room full of benches.  
  
"I think I know what this place is an old amusement park, come on," said Miki's father, grabbing his wife's hand and pulling them out of the building. "See look the makings of a river!" Miki's father pulled his wife and Miki across the river.  
  
"I smell food," exclaimed Miki's mother.  
  
"Me to, and I'm so hungry, come this place must not be abandoned after all. Come I think the food is this way," Miki's father was yelling behind him as he ran up the steps and walked through the streets of seemingly empty restaurants.  
  
Miki's father found what he was looking for. He sat down at one of the restaurants that had piles of steaming food. Without thinking he grabbed a plate and started filling it.  
  
"Shouldn't we wait for the tender, dear?" asked Miki's mother sitting down.  
  
Miki's father shoveled some food in his mouth then put a piece of 'chicken' in his wife's mouth, "Isn't this the best food?"  
  
Miki's mother nodded, filling her own plate, "Miki come on lets eat."  
  
"No! I'm not hungwy," replied Miki folding his arms and giving a sour face.  
  
"Fine! Then you get no dinner," said Miki's father.  
  
Miki didn't move to eat the food. Miki stood there until he heard a voice of a girl, "Where is Mom and Dad? What could keep them this long? I wanted to go flying with them, I want to go swimming!" Miki followed the voice, which had stopped complaining and started to hum, an unknown song.  
  
Miki turned the corner to see a small girl about four years old, with brown hair in low pig tails, balancing on the railing of the bridge. Miki quietly walked up to the girl, who hadn't noticed him, while she was to busy making sure she wouldn't fall. The girl had turned to completely face away from Miki. Miki found the girl to be rather rude, "Hello," said Miki.  
  
The girl looked over her shoulder, and gasped her foot slipped and she fell backwards on Miki. The girl got up rubbing her arm that hit the railing when she fell, she helped Miki up. The girl starred into Miki's eyes they were yellow, more yellow then green or brown, a yellow of the sunset... the girl looked up at the building on the far side of the bridge the sun was setting behind the building. The girl quickly looked at Miki, "Get out of here! Before the sunsets! Now!"  
  
Miki looked at the girl he was confused. The girl pushed Miki away in attempt to get him to leave. Miki fell over and began to cry, he got up and ran back to his parents.  
  
"Mommy, Daddy this mean girl pushed me!" cried Miki as he turned the corner to the restaurant, that his parents were at. Miki jumped his parents were no longer there and in their place were two pigs. Miki screamed and ran back through the streets, his parents must be by the tunnel he thought.  
  
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The girl walked by the restaurant and saw the pigs, "Odd people no longer turn into pigs Zeniiba made sure of that." The girl ran after Miki she realized that he wasn't going to make it out, before sunset. She might have been four but her parents told her what she needed to know about where they lived and the Human world. Including Yu-Baaba and the spells that used to be in play, and the ones that still were.  
  
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The sunset and a bunch of scary looking shadows seemed to appear out of no where, rain began to fall. A few daemon 'dressed people' walked by Miki, who was still running through the streets.  
  
Miki was really scared so he closed his eyes and continued to run. Miki tripped on a frog statue that was spitting out water, and fell into the lake.  
  
The girl ran to the edge of the water Miki hadn't surfaced. She dove into the water and swam way down to the bottom of the lake and pulled Miki up and back to the steps. For a four year old girl, she was rather strong. She had no contract with Zeniiba but still helped her mother clean the tubs and tend to the spirits.  
  
The ferry stopped in front of Miki and the girl, the first spirit who got off was Rinako Naoko, "Tea what are you doing here?"  
  
"Aunty you must help me this boy needs to go back to the human world before he disappears," replied Ryu.  
  
"Can we do this?" asked Rinako Naoko picking up Miki.  
  
"It doesn't matter his parents are pigs I'm not going to let him get trapped here as well," said Ryu getting on the ferry that was beginning to re cross the river.  
  
"Are you really four years old?" sighed Rinako Naoko following Ryu. Ryu and Rinako Naoko handed the ticket man their tickets to get across the river, Ryu gave one for Miki.  
  
The ferry stopped and they moved to get off, "Hurry Aunty he is disappearing!" Rinako Naoko ran through the tunnel closely followed by Ryu. The Farther away they got the more solid Miki was looking. Rinako Naoko stopped when she got out of the tunnel.  
  
Ryu ran right by her, "No Aunty, by the Spirit houses where he has a better chance to be found!" Rinako Naoko sighed and ran after Ryu.  
  
Ryu stood at the end of the road by the spirit houses, Rinako Naoko laid Miki down panting, "Well you did it kid, you saved his life. Now lets get you home, I don't think Sen and Haku, will be very happy with you, even if you did save his life. Not to mention Zeniiba." Ryu nodded she turned around one of her pig tails caught in a tree branch that pulled out a beautiful hair tie that Kaonashi made for her. The hair tie fell to the ground inches from Miki. 


	2. Playground

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: I got writers block for my other story and not this one so I decided to write the first chapter or so hope you enjoy. Happy reading! ~Na  
  
Chapter 1: Playground  
  
Chihiro and Kohaku sat on a bench in a park in the human world they hadn't come back in four years. It was a beautiful warm May day, just like summer. Chihiro sat in Kohaku's arms reading a story that was written by Asuko and Yoshi about the Spirit world, while Kohaku listened and played with Chihiro's waist long brown hair. Unlike Chihiro Kohaku hadn't let his hair grow out it was the same length and same black hair he always had.  
  
Both Chihiro and Kohaku found the story to be very humorous. It was written so that Asuko and Yoshi could publish it and not have people know how to get to the Spirit world, and many names were changed for example Kohaku was Hokahu. But not all names were a simple word scramble. Asuko and Yoshi had also added lots of things that didn't happen and stretched their whole adventure to two week. Two Prologues were written one about Chihiro and the other about Asuko's grandmother. Giving the story a grand total of 317 pages double spaced.  
  
Chihiro looked up and spotted her six year old daughter crawling in the dirt under a slide. Chihiro just laughed Ryu was covered head to toe in dirt and her long brown low pigtails where falling out. At that moment Ryu looked like a poor dirty child, but her shining bright green eyes and smile showed it was all just fun. Ryu insisted on wearing Chihiro's original uniform from when she was ten. The uniform was too large for Ryu, the sleeves where always tied up with the white (no longer white, Ryu had gotten it very dirty) ribbon that was used to keep loose sleeve out of the way. Her pants were rolled up every day, but in her games they were unrolled and torn. Ryu looked so much like Chihiro when Chihiro was young, except she had the smile, eyes, and spirit of her father Kohaku.  
  
Chihiro and Kohaku loved their energetic child, she was their one and only, their sun of their universe. In all the seemingly impossibilities that Ryu was born, she was, fulfilling wishes and hopes of a happy family. Ryu was very smart and strong willed for her age, sometimes stubborn. If it meant someone's life might be in danger or just a possible broken arm, she didn't care what rules she broke.  
  
A few people walked by Chihiro and Kohaku, they were starring and giving evil looks. Chihiro and Kohaku just ignored them, most people knew who they were though they knew almost no one. Chihiro and Kohaku really looked the same from when they were younger. Chihiro was a lot more toned from her work but that was about all. Their clothes were a dead give away, it was very hard for all three of them to wear the clothes of today, jeans and shirts. For girls most were to tight for Chihiro's tastes and the loose boys clothes were to loose for Kohaku.  
  
"What's today's date?" asked Chihiro.  
  
"May 25 why?" replied Kohaku looking at Chihiro.  
  
"We are on vacation again and I still owe two years ten months and twenty-three days, with out a day off," laughed Chihiro.  
  
"Well that is Zeniiba, you know. So what happens next after Hiyae returns early from business and finds us all there?" asked Kohaku. Chihiro turned back to the story. It was very suspenseful, Hiyae returns early and finds Yoshi, Kohaku, and Chihiro in the garden Ryu was left home. Since this really didn't happen Kohaku and Chihiro didn't know the outcome.  
  
Ryu climbed out from under the slide and ran to the closest metal jungle gym. She stood on the path and starred at the jungle gym, it wasn't that she was scared to climb it she was just wondering if it was to high to jump off of. Ryu surveyed the jungle gym from the ground when she heard a child cry.  
  
Ryu looked in the direction of the crying, two boys on the other side of the jungle gym were fighting over a toy truck and one hit the other. Ryu slowly walked around the jungle gym to see if the boy was alright. A biker rang his bell to warn Ryu that he was coming up close and fast. Ryu whipped around and jumped back almost getting hit by the biker. Ryu turned back around, she was standing on a small wobbly rock. The rock slipped and Ryu fell forward hitting her head on the jungle gym.  
  
The cold metal was the last thing that Ryu felt before everything went black. Blood streamed down her face from a three centimeter long cut that would need stitches.  
  
A woman who had say the accident ran over to Ryu's side. She put a hand on Ryu's shoulder and her other hand took out a tissue to wipe up the blood. The woman lightly touched Ryu's cut. The woman looked around, "Where is her mother?" she said, but no worried mother came running up. The woman looked at Ryu, she was thin and dirty, wearing torn, old, old fashioned clothes. Ryu's eyes fluttered open, to see a worried face of a blonde haired woman looking down at her, she had pale skin and soft blue eyes. She was definitely not from around here, or maybe she was... Ryu no longer knew where she was.  
  
"Are you alright? What's your name sweetie? Where is your mother?" asked the woman in a soft sing song voice.  
  
"I'm fine," said Ryu slowly sitting up and placing a hand on her cut, a few tears trickled down her face from the pain, "I...I... don't remember my name... and what's a mother?"  
  
The woman looked shocked, she looked the girl over again. The girl would have to see a doctor, and she also looked like she was a homeless child. Who got her clothes at the Christmas Homeless dinner, that also gave out clothes and blankets (some which were very old).  
  
The woman held her hand out to the girl, "Come with me sweetie you need to see a doctor."  
  
The girl took the hand of the woman and stood up. Her head was a little light feeling and the pain from her cut was now excruciating. Tears streamed down her face, the girl cried in pain. The sound of the painful cry was drowned out by near by construction as together the woman and girl walked out of the park. They quickly crossed the street, at the crosswalk where they were lucky that a car stopped for them. They walked to the parking lot where the woman's car was parked. The girl climbed in the car holding the tissue on her cut, and crying. The woman helped her buckle up, and then she started the car.  
  
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"What? Yoshi hit Hiyae!" laughed Kohaku.  
  
Chihiro was laughing, "It's not over with yet, maybe you'll eat him!"  
  
Kohaku made a disgusted face, "Gross!" Chihiro laughed, she looked over at the playground where Ryu was playing. Ryu wasn't there, Chihiro stopped laughing.  
  
"Kohaku where is Ryu?" Chihiro said seriously, and worried.  
  
"Oh don't worry she probably is just on the other side of the playground," replied Kohaku calming down Chihiro.  
  
Chihiro sighed, "Yeah your probably right, but we should be going." Chihiro stood up pulling Kohaku up with her. They stepped on the cement walking/biking/skateboarding/rollerblade/(etc.) path and walked towards the slide that Ryu was under only ten minutes before.  
  
Kohaku peered his head under the slide, he could tell that Ryu had been there. There were several of Ryu's foot prints half defined in the dirt the other half was a cloth mark, from stepping on her oversized pants.  
  
"Ryu! Are you under here?" Kohaku could clearly see she wasn't, but it was worth a try. Kohaku stood back up and walked towards the swings, the opposite direction of the metal jungle gym Ryu went to.  
  
"Ryu! Ryu! Come on we need to go and see your Aunt and Uncle!" Chihiro Screamed as they slowly walked around the playground in search of Ryu.  
  
Kohaku yelled there was a hint of worry in his voice, "Ryu!"  
  
"She probably is playing a trick on us, or only answering to Tea today," replied Chihiro also sounding worried.  
  
"Tea!" they both screamed.  
  
"Ryuichi Teataura Nushi! This isn't funny!" yelled Chihiro, she gripped Kohaku's hand tightly, they had walked around the whole playground and they hadn't found Ryu, "It was only ten minutes, Kohaku, ten minutes!" A tear trickled down Chihiro's face.  
  
Kohaku and Chihiro turned around expecting, hoping that Ryu would be standing there laughing because they had looked for her and she was following them the whole time. Chihiro and Kohaku's faces lit up and then dropped lower then they were before, Ryu wasn't there.  
  
Kohaku and Chihiro started to walk around the playground again Chihiro was in tears, and Kohaku was choking back the tears. Ryu was no where to be seen.  
  
Kohaku and Chihiro began to ask everyone they saw, "Have you seen a six year old girl, about this tall with long brown hair in messy pigtails, and green eyes, wearing a orange out fit like mine/hers?" Kohaku and Chihiro placed their hands a little below their hips for Ryu's height, and motioned at Chihiro's uniform for Ryu's dress. No one had seen her, a few people said they thought they did but it was a while ago.  
  
"This is all my fault I shouldn't have been reading!" cried Chihiro after they had circled the playground for the fifth time. Kohaku was agreeing with Chihiro just putting himself at blame. Kohaku's hand reached a pay phone, he shakily placed a coin in the slot and dialed the only number he knew.  
  
Kohaku was still trying to choke back his tears but it was no use a few stray tears fell down his cheek as the phone rang. The phone rang for what seemed an eternity, but Kohaku wouldn't hang up he needed someone to help to search for his daughter. To distract himself he counted the rings he heard, 23...there was silence once again the impact of his missing daughter trickled into his head. He could tell that the person on the other end had dropped the phone and that is why there was no answer at first.  
  
"Mato, Hello," said a male voice on the other end of the phone.  
  
"Yoshi... Ryu is missing, we can't find her anywhere," replied the sullen Kohaku. The phone dropped again.  
  
Kohaku could hear another person walk into the room on Yoshi's end of the phone. Yoshi started to talk to the person, Kohaku couldn't tell what he said. Asuko picked up the phone, "Kohaku? Where are you?"  
  
"The park downtown," replied Kohaku wiping his face dry from his tears.  
  
"We'll be there in a minute, bye," Asuko said, she handed the phone to Yoshi.  
  
Yoshi said comfortably, "Don't worry man, we'll find her. I'm sure she just heard an ice cream truck and will be walking back to you two any second." Yoshi hung up the phone Kohaku just stood there holding the dead phone to his ear. After a minute he slowly hung up the phone.  
  
Kohaku turned around to face Chihiro and tell her that Asuko and Yoshi were coming, "Chihiro..." Kohaku slowly said, he looked into Chihiro's eyes they were red from crying, she looked incredibly pale. Chihiro wobbled a bit then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted to the ground. With the thud of Chihiro's body hitting the ground Kohaku ran the three meters to her and sat on the ground next to her. Kohaku placed a hand on Chihiro's face, he cried.  
  
Author's Note: How did you guys like the first chapter???? I really wanna know because no one reviewed my Prologue(as of this second but I haven't checked my e-mail yet today). So tell me please... but if ya don't no big deal chapter 2 will still come!  
  
~Na 


	3. Doctor

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Chapter 2: Doctor  
  
The girl and woman walked into the doctor's office in Okayama a few towns away. From where the girl had been found. The woman talked to the receptionist while the girl continued to hold the blood soaked tissue to her cut and looked around the reception area. There were chairs lining the walls and a few toys in the middle, one end table held children's books and the other held magazines. The walls where of a dark brown wood and the carpet of a lighter brown. There was many cheery pictures hanging on the walls. Ones of bright colored sunsets, or peaceful blue oceans. No matter how many cheery picture where in that room, a lingering 'stench' of sorrow, worry, and pain could be 'smelled' and 'felt'. There were two people sitting in the corner of the room both shorter then the blonde woman and taller then the girl. They had darker skin and black hair. The woman of the two who were waiting was bouncing a baby dressed in blue on her knee.  
  
The woman motioned to the girl to follow her into a examination room, she need stitches and fast. The man in the waiting room was about to object to the girl being seen before he was because he had been waiting for a very long time. The girl turned and looked at the man who was half out of his chair. The man stopped when her saw the girls tears and the blood red tissue that she was holding.  
  
A nurse motioned for the woman and girl to enter the first room on the right. "The doctor will be here in a minute, I'll bring the girl some clean clothes" the nurse was told that the girl was in desperate need of a doctor and was most likely homeless, that the woman was a kind lady taking the poor girl to the doctor and afterwards to an orphanage. The nurse closed the door.  
  
"Thank you," replied the woman who sat down in the chair. The girl sat down in the rolley chair and spun around, she had stopped crying the pain had lessened a little but if she moved a finger or repositioned the tissue a quick shot of pain came. The girl spun around on the chair while keeping her hand very still.  
  
The doctor walked in and looked at the girl who was still spinning around, "Could you please climb up here on my examination table please," said the doctor in a kind hearty voice.  
  
The girl stopped spinning around and looked at the doctor, he wasn't at all what she expected he was tall and big boned with kind brown eyes and black hair, for some reason she had expected someone who had more then two arms, who was older and had a big mustache. Although she didn't know why.  
  
The doctor patted the examination table waiting for the girl to climb up. The girl decided that the man looked trust worthy. She slowly stood up and climbed up on the table. The doctor looked at her dirty face and her dirty hands that were holding the dirty, bloody tissue. The doctor walked to the sink and put on a pair of rubber gloves he took a paper towel and got it wet, and squirted some antibacterial soap on it.  
  
The doctor walked back over to the girl, who was patiently waiting. The doctor carefully removed the girl's hand that held the tissue, from her face. The girl cringed in pain a few tears fell down her face. The doctor took the tissue and threw it away in the orange biohazard trash can. The doctor quickly and gently washed up the girls whole face before throwing the paper towel in the same trash can.  
  
"Now can you please lay down for me and close your eyes and sing me a song, but what ever you do or feel don't open your eyes," said the doctor changing his gloves and throwing away the old ones. The girl nodded and laid down, she closed her eyes and hummed a tune that neither the doctor or woman knew. It was soft and enchanting, "Perfect, thank you."  
  
The doctor picked up the needle that held the pain remover. He slowly inject some of the pain remover in the girls head around her cut. All the girl could feel was small cold points around the cut they were soothing the pain that the cut had caused. The cold points had stopped and the girl didn't feel anything the doctor did to her head.  
  
"Ok you can sit up now sweetie, you did a wonderful job," said the doctor. The girl stopped humming and sat up she opened her eyes and lifted a hand to her forehead she could feel eleven stitches. The girl looked at the woman who smiled then she looked back at the doctor, "Now I'm going to take some of your blood, ok?"  
  
The girl looked confused as the doctor tied a rubber rope around her arm, "Just look over there at Miss. Jones for a minute," said the doctor who was pointing to the woman. Miss. Jones was making funny faces, they didn't amuse the girl who decided to examine the examination room. It was a white room with a computer that sat next to the sink that was by the chair that Miss. Jones sat in. The floor was a soft green and there was lots of gadgets surrounding the examination table and hanging on the walls. There was another cheery picture of a boy throwing an apple down from and apple tree to the girl below. But the picture didn't help the room it was still full of the feel of pain and fright.  
  
The doctor walked in the direction of the sink with a tube filled with the girls blood. He put down the tube and picked up a purple lollypop, he walked back to the girl and handed her the lollypop, "You did a wonderful job, here you can have this lollypop." The girl suspiciously took the lollypop, she cautiously looked it over. The girl smelled the lollypop it was like a grape but not exactly a grape. She slowly touched to lollypop to her tongue, it tasted odd but good. She placed the whole lollypop in her mouth and sucked on it.  
  
The door opened, the nurse walked in with a pile of clean clothes that she was hoping would fit the girl, "Ah yes Sora, thank you, could you please take the little miss here and give her a bath?" asked the doctor.  
  
Sora replied as she walked into the room holding her hand out to the girl, "No problem, What do you want me to write down for this case?"  
  
"Charity," said the doctor.  
  
Sora nodded, "Come with me we are going to get you all cleaned up." The girl nodded taking the nurses outstretched hand and getting off the examination table. They walked out of the room.  
  
The doctor turned to Miss. Jones, "I'm going to run a full test on her blood to make sure she is healthy, it will take an hour or two. After she is done with her bath I'll run a physical. After I drop off the blood I'll call the orphanage and if you don't mind could you drop her off there when we are finished up here?"  
  
Miss. Jones replied, "Why of course it is no problem at all." The doctor nodded and picked up the blood and walked out of the room.  
  
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Asuko and Yoshi had arrived at the park only ten minutes after they had hung the phone up with talking to Kohaku. They had called the police and rushed over to the park. The police and an ambulance truck showed up to Chihiro's luck. The police searched the whole playground for Ryu. The police asked Kohaku and Chihiro, after she woke up, a lot of questions. Such questions like 'do you live here?' They got answers that were just a simple 'no' but the following question that was 'so where do you live?' was answered with 'At a bath house.' Since Chihiro and Kohaku had no address or phone number, and couldn't say were exactly they lived, the police were beginning to think it was a hoax. The police couldn't understand how loving parent of a six year old girl, would only have a few pictures of their child that were from Asuko and Yoshi's wedding when she was two years old and those were the most recent photos.  
  
The police man glanced over the playground, but they shouldn't have been there the missing person wasn't even missing for 24 hours yet. The police left promising that they would write up the paper work and look into it if Ryu didn't return after 24 hours. They had taken down Yoshi's and Asuko's phone number and address.  
  
There was a small amount of fresh blood on the jungle gym that Ryu hit her head on, and a few drops on the ground. But that day the blood went unnoticed.  
  
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Sora brought the girl back into the examination room clean and dressed in a blue t-shirt and white shorts, her long brown hair lay loose on her back. The girl sat back on the rolley chair and span around. Sora handed Miss. Jones the girls old clothes and left to get the doctor.  
  
Miss. Jones set the clothes down on the floor and watched as the girl span around. The door opened again and the doctor reentered. The girl stopped spinning and looked up at the doctor as he walked in. She stood up and climbed back up on the examination table.  
  
The doctor greeted both of them and then preceded with the physical, by sticking a thermometer in the girls ear, "98.8 healthy." The doctor wrote down the results. And continued to look in the girls ears, eyes, and mouth with his light.  
  
Miss. Jones picked up the girl's old clothes and looked them over there was a pair of oversized pants that were stained and ripped, as well as the over sized shirt, both so dirty it was hard to tell that they were originally orange. Miss. Jones picked up the dark blue apron, it was rather heavy. Miss. Jones looked in the pockets they were filled with sand. She gave a short snicker and put her hand in the sand, it was just regular old sand box sand. The sand slipped back into the pocket through her fingers, Miss. Jones saw a piece of paper that was covered in the sand. She dropped the rest of the sand back into the pocket and pulled out the paper.  
  
The piece of paper at one time read, See you again March 21, 3588.....We are invited to the wedding right? –Saki from when the uniform belonged to Chihiro. But it was now to old an worn that most of the letters had worn off there was many dirt stains the name Saki was the only thing that was still readable although a large stain covered the 'i' and some of the 'k'. Miss Jones starred at the name and at the stained and thought that at one time the name read 'Sakura'.  
  
The doctor walked over to Miss Jones, "Well she is healthy, I'm going to go see if her blood work up is finished." Miss. Jones just nodded. The doctor left the room.  
  
Miss. Jones looked up at the girl, "Is your name Sakura? Does Sakura sound familiar?"  
  
The girl looked at Miss. Jones, "Sak... yeah it sounds familiar."  
  
(a/n: She only said Sak as in remembering the name Saki and not Sakura from the bedtime stories that her parents told her of their adventures.)  
  
"Well Sakura come here and let me redo your hair, how do you want it done pigtails?" asked Miss. Jones. Sakura nodded and got off the examination table and sat on the floor in front of Miss. Jones. Miss. Jones picked up her purse and pulled out a small travel hair brush and searched for as couple hair ties. The ones that originally held Sakura's hair had been lost when she took a bath. Miss Jones neatly brushed Sakura's hair and did it up in two low pigtails like they were before.  
  
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"Kohaku, Chihiro, come on, come back to our house for the night, it's already dark. We'll return tomorrow and look for her tomorrow and so will the police," said Asuko beckoning Chihiro and Kohaku to leave the playground.  
  
"Rin and Shu! If Ryu went there then they would have no way of telling us and they wouldn't send her back, because they would be afraid she would get lost!" exclaimed Kohaku. He drag Chihiro up from the bench that they were sitting on, and walked off towards the river. Asuko and Yoshi followed.  
  
"Rin! Shu! Morio! Kawatarou! Is Ryu with you!?" yelled Kohaku running up to the Mishu-Kapi river and Rinako Naoko forest. Chihiro was running next to him, followed by Yoshi and Asuko.  
  
"Aunt Sen, Uncle Haku!" yelled the twins who were swimming in the river. Kawatarou and Morio were twins but you couldn't tell. Kawatarou normally stayed in his dragon form and in the water he had blue tinted scales and a blue mane with soft watery blue eyes. Morio preferred his human form, he was a forest boy after all. He had dark brown hair with a strange green tint to it and he had big hazel eyes. Morio in dragon form had green tinted scales and a brown mane. Kawatarou looked just like his brother in human form except his eyes were blue. As dragons they looked similar to Mishu-Kapi or Kohaku in dragon form, and in human form they looked a lot like Rinako Naoko, with the same soft features (Mishu-Kapi swears as they grow they'll look more masculine).  
  
"Oh good Sen, Haku, Kaonashi came by just a few minutes before, You guys need to return to Aburaya something is wrong," said Rinako Naoko walking to the edge of her forest.  
  
"We can't Ryu is missing!" protested Chihiro letting tears once again trickle down her cheeks. Kohaku held her close, comforting her.  
  
"What! Oh no my sweet niece!" exclaimed Mishu-Kapi.  
  
"Pi they have to return Kaonashi said that something was wrong, some new trouble at Aburaya and they have to return tonight," replied Rinako Naoko.  
  
"We can't leave Ryu!" cried Chihiro.  
  
Asuko stepped closer to Chihiro and Kohaku putting a comforting hand on Chihiro's shoulder, "Chihiro it sounds like you need to go home, Yoshi and I will continue to look for her tonight as well as Rin and Shu I presume. And you two can return tomorrow and help the police look."  
  
Chihiro nodded in agreement until Yoshi added, "I just hope that she doesn't think the Spirit world was a dream."  
  
"Why would you say that?" asked Kohaku looking worried.  
  
"Yoshi!" exclaimed Asuko, her voice softened, "Well that's what happened to us the Spirit world seems to be a dream, that we were never there but since we have pictures of you guys at the wedding we force ourselves to remember that it was real. But I'm sure since she is a Spirit herself she wont forget."  
  
"When did that happen to you?" asked Chihiro.  
  
Yoshi looked down and fiddled with the grass with his foot, "Not long after we returned. We weren't even sure if we were leaving your wedding invitation at an old amusement park or in the Spirit world."  
  
"But then why didn't I forget and think it was only a dream?" asked Chihiro.  
  
"The hair tie that you got from Zeniiba," replied Rin, "It wouldn't let you forget. So even if Tea was capable of forgetting she is sporting two of those hair ties and her uniform they'll keep her from thinking that she was dreaming." Chihiro still looked worried she knew that she wasn't even considered Human anymore, but blood runs thick, heritage is hard to erase. And it was the same blood that ran through Ryu.  
  
Asuko added, "She is right my grandmother didn't think it was a dream because Zeniiba gave her a bracelets like Chihiro's, but when she lost it the memories faded into a dream."  
  
"She might be six, but Tea is the oldest six year old I know she can take care of herself, and you two can return tomorrow," said Yoshi.  
  
"Yes I agree, I'm more worried about Aburaya then Ryu. Maybe she'll be safer now that she is here," agreed Mishu-Kapi. Chihiro and Kohaku nodded and turned to return home.  
  
----------  
  
"Well," said the doctor walking back into Sakura's room, Miss. Jones looked at the doctor, "She is 100% healthy, well except her acute amnesia, her memory should return in a few days. But she has never gone to a day of school in her life and most likely not to a doctor either."  
  
"How can you tell that?" asked Miss. Jones, Sakura was asleep in her lap.  
  
"There was no antibodies found in her blood, no antibodies for Polio, or Chicken Pox, etc. She has never had a medical or drug injection in her life, until today. Schools require that all student have been vaccinated for Polio, Chicken Pox, etc. so she wouldn't have been allowed to go to school," said the doctor.  
  
"Ok, so what does this mean?" asked Miss. Jones.  
  
"Well I'm figuring she lived in a poor family, if she had a family for this long, who couldn't afford to send her to school or to a doctor. And recently they had to just leave her out in the 'cold' because of money problems. But until her memory comes back she'll have to be turned over to the state. The closest orphanage is about three hours drive from here, in a small town by Takamatsu on Shikoku, it's a very small orphanage good for raising the small amount of kids they have, I think about seventeen children between the ages of two and ten. I already called the orphanage and they are expecting her," replied the doctor.  
  
"Yes, I know the place it's by my sisters house. I was on my way there today when I found her. I can bring her there no problem," added Miss. Jones.  
  
"Well that would be great, your going to need to fill out this form, so that we know who, and where you are and I'll call the orphanage in the morning to make sure that she has gotten there safely. We can't have her disappearing, you understand," said the doctor handing Miss. Jones a form to fill out. The form even asked for license plate number and a copy of drivers license and for a non Japanese born person, passport copy was also required, "So does she have a name or is she a Jane Doe?"  
  
Miss. Jones hurried to fill out the form, it was almost eight at night, "Sakura, I found an old piece of paper in her old clothes, half of the name was covered all you could clearly read was 'Sak' I asked her if Sakura sounded familiar and she said yes. So now I call her Sakura and she answers." Miss. Jones handed the doctor the form her drivers license and South African Passport. The doctor left to make photo copies. Miss. Jones woke up Sakura and stood up. Miss. Jones had lived in Japan for a long time, her sister had married a Japanese man and Miss. Jones visited them often.  
  
Miss. Jones picked up Sakura's old tattered clothes and threw them away in the orange trash can. The doctor came back returning the license and passport, and bid Miss. Jones and Sakura good-bye.  
  
Author's Note: Disclaimer: I have no medical experience and never got stitches ( I had staples and tarry(not sure of spelling) straps). I also don't remember the movie specifically saying where Chihiro moved to if I'm wrong please tell me and I'll change it to be correct. Basically I have them in the city of Okayama which is on the big island Honshu on the coast by a smaller island Shikoku(I can't remember the Japanese Island names and I hope these are correct for English because my atlas is in German). My map has a highway connecting the two islands with the closest city on the Shikoku to Okayama being Takamatsu, so I'm also just estimating that it is a three hours drive. I just needed Ryu to get off the island but not really be to far away. So there is a better chance that it takes longer to find her. Not that it's a good thing that she is missing for awhile for the stories sake she can't be found the next day. But if Okayama is really far from the town Chihiro's family moved to (still don't remembering it having a name but its been 8 months since I saw the movie) please tell me. Happy Reading!!! ~Na 


	4. Orphanage

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Chapter 3. Orphanage  
  
Sakura had slept the whole ride to the orphanage, and woke up the next morning in a warm bed. Sakura sat up in her bed and looked around. There was twenty beds ten on one side of the room and ten on the other side. Not all the beds were occupied, Sakura could tell that on the opposite wall of bed, were for boys and the beds on her side for girls. In the middle of the room were a few small tables and very few scattered toys. The door was on Sakura's right and the large window that gave the room its gray light was on the left.  
  
The door slowly opened and a short woman with black hair and brown eyes stepped in. she flicked the light switch on, "Ok Wake up! Jiro introduce everyone, Miki and Kado show Sakura around before breakfast!" the woman left with a loud bang of the door. All the children got up still in pajamas and stood in a line youngest to oldest in front of Sakura.  
  
The eldest was a blonde haired boy with blue eyes and tan skin, "My name is Jiro I'm ten years old." Then he stepped out of line and pointed to a girl with shoulder length black hair with soft brown eyes and skin, "This is Kaede she is nine." The next in the line was a girl with long red hair and blue eyes, she had lots of freckles, "She is Koto, also nine years old." After Koto was another girl with medium dirty blonde hair, she was pale with green eyes but a darker green then Sakura's, "Midori, also nine." The next girl in line had long frizzy brown hair and brown eyes, with golden brown skin, "Chika is eight." The next was a small pale boy with dark brown hair that was almost black but in the rising sunlight you could see the natural streaks of red and light brown. He had green or brown eyes Sakura couldn't tell she starred into his eye they were neither brown or green they were yellow, a real yellow, the yellow of the setting sun. Around the boys wrist was a shiny purple bracelet, or outstretched hair tie Sakura didn't know which, "He is Miki who is seven." The next boy had chin length blonde hair with blue eyes and golden skin, "That is Kado who is six. Next in line would come you, Sakura and your also six," Sakura nodded, "Makoto is five." Jiro had pointed at another red head, this boy had green eyes and tan skin unlike Koto. The next boy was extremely pale with silvery gray eyes and black hair, "Tanaka who is five." Next to Tanaka was a girl with the same face only her hair was long, they were obviously siblings, "Hana who is four." The next was a boy with neither pale or tan skin he had blue eyes and brown hair, "Hiroshi, four years old." The next was a girl who looked just like Koto only with shorter hair, "Gin who is three." A tan boy with black hair and blue eyes stood next to Gin, "Raidon who is three years old." The last two girls were both pale the second to last girl had blue eyes and long jet black hair, and the last girl had brown hair cut in a reverse bob with blue-violet eyes, "Kyoko, and the little one is Mika they are both two." Sakura looked at the kids and nodded, "Ok now we are all split into groups depending on our age, two and three year olds, Gin, Raidon, Kyoko, and Mika. Four and five year olds, Makoto, Tanaka, Hana, and Hiroshi. Your group the six and seven year olds are Miki, Kado, and you Sakura. And the last group is mine the ten, nine, and eight year olds, Me Jiro, Kaede, Koto, Midori, and Chika."  
  
After Jiro stopped talking everyone returned to their beds and retrieved clothes, all the girls filed out of the room. The yellow eyed boy walked up to Sakura, "Tea, the girls get dressed in the bathroom and the boys get dressed in here. This morning we have clean up so once we are all dressed Kado and I will show you around."  
  
Sakura nodded and then looked down at her blue shirt and white shorts, "All I have are these clothes."  
  
"Well then wait outside and we'll come and get you, "replied Miki with a smile before he turned and walked over to his bed. All the boys had already pulled off their sleep shirts, Sakura quickly walked out and sat down with her back to the wall next to the door. Sakura looked around the hallway was dark but she could see two other doorways and a set of stairs going down.  
  
----------  
  
Kohaku met Chihiro outside on the bridge after getting permission from Zeniiba to return and look for Ryu. Chihiro picked the backpack off the ground and they walked through the streets, "Kohaku I still don't know why we came back here, last night Zeniiba said that she didn't send Kaonashi after us."  
  
"I know it is very strange, we'll ask Rin today if she made a mistake. Maybe it wasn't Kaonashi maybe it was a relative of his," replied Kohaku.  
  
"Yeah your probably right, but why would they say Aburaya was in trouble if it wasn't?" asked Chihiro.  
  
"I don't know Chihiro.... That is odd," replied Kohaku.  
  
"What's odd?" asked Chihiro.  
  
Kohaku looked at Chihiro she hadn't been watching where they were walking, "The water is still here."  
  
Chihiro looked up, Kohaku was right. Instead of the endless green grass that always met them when they went to the Human world, it was endless blue water, "Well...umm... Ryu went to the Human world that time when the field was covered in water and no one gave her permission. So we'll just fly across the water."  
  
Kohaku nodded and turned into a white dragon with his green furry mane. Chihiro climbed onto Kohaku's back and held a patch of green fur. Kohaku flew low across the water, Chihiro let go with one hand and let it skim the passing water. It was only second until they landed near the entrance of the red building.  
  
Chihiro got off Kohaku and walked towards the door of the building. Kohaku changed back to his human form, a red glimmer of the early morning light reflecting off of something that was in front of the red building.  
  
"Wait Chihiro!" screamed Kohaku picking up a small rock. Chihiro stopped and turned around centimeters from the door, "I don't think you can pass through." Kohaku whipped the rock at the door it hit a red shiny force field causing a ripple effect. The rock didn't pass through the red ripples but bounced back and landed in the middle of the blue water.  
  
Chihiro looked shocked and relieved that the rock wasn't her. The wind picked up and teased Chihiro's hair, she was still close to the door. The wind blew a few dead leaves that were on the floor, out of the tunnel towards Chihiro. The leaves blew slowly out of the tunnel with out a care or reaction to the force field.  
  
Kohaku looked confused. He walked over and picked up one of the leaves that blew through the force field without any trouble. Kohaku got really close to the force field and slowly pushed the leaf across the ground towards the force field. As the leaf touched the force field it curled up like it was being pushed against a solid wall.  
  
Chihiro opened up the backpack and pulled out two pieces of paper, a marker, and the duck tape that Yoshi insisted that they have because 'Duck tape is a life saver'. Chihiro wrote on the pieces of paper and then duck taped them back to back on a stick that she found on the ground. Chihiro shoved the stick into the ground so that one piece of paper faced the tunnel and the other the water.  
  
Kohaku read the piece of paper, "Mysterious One way force field, You can come out of the tunnel, but you can't go back in. Please no complaints we don't know why it is here and we are looking into removing it. Thank you for your corporation. ~Sen and Haku," Kohaku looked at Chihiro, "what is that for? What if a human reads it?"  
  
"Well it is mainly there for Asuko and Yoshi, because after they realize that we didn't return for Ryu then they'll come and at the least leave us a note and be stuck here. And it is a risk we are going to have to take, that is why I didn't say 'you can come to the spirit world but you can't return'." Kohaku nodded his agreement and changed back into a dragon.  
  
----------  
  
Miki and Kado walked out of the room and found Sakura sitting on the floor starring off into space, "Ok lets show you around, "said Kado.  
  
"Well lets go downstairs, the door to the left is the bathroom, and the door on the right is that lady's room," replied Sakura.  
  
"Umm... well yeah, her name is Ms. Tori and her daughter is Miss. Tori," replied Kado.  
  
"Well come on," said Miki walking down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was the front room and to the right was the classroom and the connecting room to the classroom was a small empty room for gym when the weather wasn't good to go outside. To the left of the stairs was a hallway the first room off of the hall way was a small living room area, the next was Ms. Tori's office, and then their was the huge dinning room. Off of the dining room was a second bathroom, that had a bathtub while the upstairs bathroom had two showers, the kitchen was also connected to the dinning room. The dinning room had a huge sliding glass door that opened up into the back yard there was a porch, a small swing set and a small strand of sand before the lake. In the lake there was a T dock.  
  
Miki and Kado showed Sakura the chore chart, "Ok we are the blue stars, so today we are cleaning up after breakfast, then we have first class today, after that we have to clean the upstairs." Sakura examined the chart it stated three weeks because there was three meal related chores, and three sets of normal chores so for the three different colored stars to get back to where they began it took three weeks. Each week Monday through Sunday was written in a different color. Next to the chart was a calendar that had each week colored one of three colors. For the month of May the first week was colored blue and the second week on the chart was written in blue. So you could easily match up the day with the proper chores of that day. On the calendar every other day had a 'G' and the others had a 'B'. The list of chores also included which class period you had. On the other side of the chore chart was an itinerary that read:  
  
Wake up – 6:00  
  
Set up and cook/Free time – 6:30-7:00  
  
Breakfast – 7:00-8:00  
  
Clean up/Free time – 8:00-8:30  
  
School Lesson 1/Chores – 8:30-10:30  
  
School Lesson 2/Chores – 10:30-12:30  
  
Set up and cook/Free time - 12:30-13:00  
  
Lunch – 13:00-14:00  
  
Clean up/Free time – 14:00-14:30  
  
Sports – 14:30-15:30  
  
School Lesson 3/Chores – 15:30-17:30  
  
Set up and cook/Free time - 17:30-18:00  
  
Dinner - 18:00-19:00  
  
Clean up/Free time – 19:00-19:30  
  
Free time – 19:30- 21:00  
  
Bedtime – 21:00  
  
"It looks confusing," replied Sakura.  
  
Miki looked at her, "It really isn't Tea. If you aren't setting up or cooking breakfast then you have free at that time. we only have school two hours a day so in the other four hours reserved for school we do our chores, after chores we do our homework, take a shower, or have free time. You can only take a shower if the day has written a 'G' on it for girls and only when a shower is free. We are not allowed near the lake unless we have sport down there. The two and three year olds don't do any of this because they are to young they have structured play, and sport with the rest of us, along with meals. Understand?"  
  
Sakura nodded, Kado looked over at the table it was 7:00, "Come on breakfast is ready." They walked over to the big table on one side sat in this order, Jiro, Kaede, Koto, Midori, Chika, Miki, Kado and Sakura. On the other side sat Makoto, Tanaka, Hana, Hiroshi, Gin, Raidon, Kyoko, and Mika. On one end of the table sat Ms. Tori and on the opposite end was a younger Ms. Tori who Sakura assumed was Miss. Tori. Sakura noticed that Miss. Tori had her hair cut rather short and looked a lot like Kaede, but it was obvious that they were not related.  
  
"Thank you for the food in front of us, the warm cloths we wear, and the roof over our heads, "said Ms. Tori, a grace written to not be thanking any specific god, of any specific religion. So that there was no confliction if there was ever a child who knew what there religion was or chose a religion.  
  
Everyone began to eat their bowls of rice. Ms. Tori between bites made morning announcements, "I'm happy to say that summer has come especially early, and the outside temperature and water temperature are already warm enough to go swimming. So sport this afternoon is swimming lessons. Sakura don't worry I have a bathing suit for you and a few pairs of clothes."  
  
Sakura nodded everyone was happy it was only May 26 and it was warm enough for swimming. Sakura smiled and then noticed that the only two who weren't happy were Miki and Kado.  
  
Sakura whispered to Kado, "You two don't like swimming?"  
  
"I'm not a very good swimmer and Miki is afraid of the water," replied Kado in a low whisper.  
  
Sakura nodded, "I see." They finished breakfast then everyone got up from the table and went off to enjoy their free time leaving Miki, Kado and Sakura at the table to clean up.  
  
They picked up the dishes and brought them into the kitchen. Miki washed the dishes, Sakura dried the dishes, and Kado washed the table and put the dishes away. Sakura was supposed to watch Kado and see where all the dishes belonged.  
  
After they finished with the dishes they went up stairs to grab their school stuff they had six subjects: Japanese, Math, Science, History, Culture, and Language. In Culture they learned about culture in other countries, and the language that they were learning was English. Each day they had two subjects an hour for each subject, that day was Math and Japanese. Miki and Kado gave Sakura a copy of the Math book, their Japanese book which was Grimm Fairytales translated into Japanese, and their English workbook. Sakura left the English book on her bed and followed Miki and Kado to the class room where Ms. Tori was waiting.  
  
In the back of the room Gin, Raidon, Kyoko, and Mika were having their structural play, that was finger painting. Miki, Kado and Sakura sat in the middle of the front row. The room only had two rows of five desks for the children who had school.  
  
The first hour was math, they were working on multiplication, which was advanced for their age group. (And was very advanced for Sakura who couldn't tell time(she would just look at where the sun was in the sky and estimate.) couldn't count money (she was used to gold) or anything with fractions.) when they got to a question about multiplying fractions Sakura need extra help, not like she wasn't already getting help she only previously knew how to do simple add and subtract. Japanese was a lot better they had to take turns reading paragraphs from the story Briar Rose (Briar Rose is the English name, Sleeping Beauty is the Disney name). Sakura was the worst reader out of the three but by the end of that hour her reading wasn't bad at all. Sakura didn't understand how they could have homework when they lived in the same building that the class room was in but that didn't matter for Ms. Tori they had math homework and had to read a Fairytale of their choice and write a summary about it.  
  
After the class was finished Miki, Kado and Sakura went upstairs. Kado explained they must pick all the stuff that doesn't belong on the floor and after mop the floor. In the bedroom they also had to dust and clean the windows. In the bathroom they had to clean out the four toilet stalls, the two showers, and the sinks.  
  
All three picked up the toys in the bedroom and put them away then they dusted and washed the window. Then they moved to the bathroom to scrub that up before they mopped all the floors. Sakura was scrubbing a shower, that wasn't neglected, but poorly scrubbed. There was lots of water stains and calk, some of the tiles in the bottom corners had some mold. Sakura scrubbed it all away, which to her was hard but could have been worse. Miki and Kado who in the beginning laughed at Sakura because she was trying to get the shower 100% clean were surprised to see a half an hour later that it was completely clean. After the bathroom was clean they went back and moped out the bedroom followed by the bathroom and then finally the hall. It had taken them the whole two hours to clean.  
  
They went outside it must have been 32°C (89.7°F) and they sat on the swings. The swing set was rather nice it had four regular swings, the 'two person back and forth swing' (A/N: I have no clue what the names of these swings are, I hope you know what I'm talking about), and the big 'four person swing'. There was also a ladder that led to the top of a 'fort' with a bumpy slide. They all sat on the normal swings and had 'how high' contests and jumping contests till it was lunch time.  
  
Lunch went the same as breakfast except they had dumpling soup with their rice. At clean up Sakura washed the dishes, Kado dried, and Miki put them away.  
  
----------  
  
"Where are they Yoshi? They should have been here by now!" said Asuko, surveying the playground where Ryu was last seen.  
  
"I don't know, maybe they are searching the wood or something. If we don't see them all day then we'll go find them," replied Yoshi.  
  
A police man walked over to them, "Are you Mr. and Mrs. Nushi?"  
  
"No we are good friends of the Nushi's, we don't know where they are right now," replied Yoshi.  
  
"Well would you be able to identify the missing person? A Ryuichi Teataura Nushi?" asked the policeman.  
  
"Yes, we would," Asuko said with high hopes.  
  
"Well a doctor in Okayama, reported a supposable homeless six year old girl, who has an acute memory loss, and goes by the name Sakura," said the policeman.  
  
"No, that can't be her she has a home, her name isn't Sakura, and I don't see how she could have gotten to Okayama," replied Yoshi sadly.  
  
The policeman nodded, "Well if you would like to look at this doctors file you can whenever you want, compare it to other files of found children, if there are anymore."  
  
----------  
  
When they were finished they went up stairs Sakura found a pile with two shirts, a pair of pant, a pair of shorts, a pair of pajamas, a sweatshirt, and on top was a light blue bathing suit. Sakura went into the bathroom and changed into her bathing suit. Chika handed Sakura a towel that matched her bathing suit and all the children walked out to the lake.  
  
Gin, Radion, Kyoko, and Mika played in the sand on the beach under the eye of Ms. Tori. Makoto, Tanaka, Hana, and Hiroshi practiced blowing bubbles in the water and holding their breath and going under water, Miss. Tori watched them very carefully. Jiro, Kaede, Koto, Midori, and Chika swam the crawl one by one from shallow water to deep water and then treaded water until their turn to swim back, with Miss. Tori as a teacher. Miki, Kado, and Sakura were supposed to tread water where they couldn't touch, their teacher was Ms. Tori. Since this was the first day of the swim season, everything was review. Miki was supposed to be able to tread water already, Kado and Sakura would be learning. Sakura was surprised how advanced everything was she was six and learning to tread water (she can't remember that she already knows how).  
  
"Ok Miki, now jump in here where it is deep tread water for ten seconds and swim in," said Ms. Tori. They were standing on the dock where the water was too deep and about 30 centimeters over their heads.  
  
"No Ms. Tori I can't," replied Miki.  
  
"You did it last year, you can do it this year," answered Ms. Tori.  
  
Miki was as white as ivory he was just shaking his head, "N...No...i...i...its...to...o deep." Miki was trembling slightly while he stuttered. For some reason Sakura couldn't look at Miki when he looked liked he did. Sakura turned her attention to the younger kids who were learning the front glide, and back glide, with all its variations (with kick, etc.). Sakura turned back when she heard a splash of water.  
  
Miki had jumped in the water, he resurfaced and tried to tread water, he missed a kick and sunk slightly. Miki panicked and put his arm up in the air, which was his mistake, he sank completely. Ms. Tori kicked off her flip flops and put her hands on the waste band of the shorts she wore over her bathing suit. She was expecting Miki to resurface in a few seconds.  
  
Sakura on the other hand wasn't, only a few seconds after Miki disappeared under the waters surface she dove into the water. Sakura swam to the bottom of the lake she could easily see Miki, but then the water flashed darker with her goal the same only in dark water, water after sunset.  
  
Sakura grabbed Miki and pulled him to the surface arm around his waist. It was a good thing that in water everything weighed less. Sakura resurfaced with Miki, she was struggling to keep them both above the water. Sakura was treading water but Miki wasn't.  
  
Miki coughed a couple times, "Thank you Tea." He looked at the dock and was surprised to see they were a good three meters away from it. Miki got scared again and motioned to put his hands in the air again.  
  
"No Miki don't you'll drown us both, you just need to kick your legs in circles and move your free arm over the waters surface like me. Whatever you do don't put your hands in the air," quickly replied Sakura.  
  
Miki obeyed and soon they were both safely treading water. Sakura let go of Miki's waist and held his hand they treaded water for another minute. Then Sakura let go of Miki's hand and they treaded water on their own. Ms. Tori just watched from the dock, relieved and surprised to see them both safely treading water.  
  
Ms. Tori yelled out to Miki and Sakura, "Ok you two can swim in now!"  
  
Sakura turned to Miki, "After you." Miki broke his rhythmic treading and swam a shaky front crawl in. Sakura followed in his suit but with a much better front crawl.  
  
----------  
  
"Excuse me are you the parents of the missing girl?" asked a lady with blonde hair and soft features, next to her stood a man with dark brown hair.  
  
Asuko and Yoshi turned around to see the couple standing by the swing set of the playground, "No we are friends of the family," said Asuko.  
  
"Well we just wanted to say that we were very sorry for your friends lost and that if we could help in anyway we would be more then happy to. We don't have any faith in these police," replied the man.  
  
"That is very kind of you, but why don't you have faith in the police?" asked Yoshi.  
  
"Well my brother, his wife and son moved to this town two years ago. Witnesses say they left their new house to take a walk and they never returned. The police still haven't found a trace of them anywhere. We haven't seen my brother Ituki, Toshi and their son Miki since," replied the man.  
  
"I'm very sorry for your lose, but who are you?" asked Asuko sympathetically.  
  
"Oh sorry, I'm Yuumi and this is my husband Tsunehiko Natsuki. Well anyway my husband works for the local News station and could send out a report for your friends daughter," Said Yuumi.  
  
"That would be great," Asuko replied, Tsunehiko took out a pen and pad of paper prepared to take down notes on Ryu, "Her name is Ryuichi Teataura Nushi but she goes by Ryu or Tea. She is six years old with long brown hair, usually in low pig tails, with emerald green eyes. Last time I knew she was wearing an old oversized ripped, stained, orange work clothes with a navy blue apron."  
  
Tsunehiko finished writing everything down, Yoshi held out a card to Yuumi with their phone number and address. Yuumi took the card and Tsunehiko gave Yoshi his own business card, "We'll keep in touch, we'll find her don't worry, don't give up hope."  
  
"Thank you, "said Asuko, "you guys don't give up either I'm sure you'll find your family as well." Yuumi and Tsunehiko smiled and they left.  
  
Yoshi and Asuko walked to the red building to the Spirit world to leave Chihiro and Kohaku a note. Yoshi stopped before he walked to through the entrance of the Spirit world.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Asuko.  
  
Yoshi pointed and read, "Mysterious One way force field, You can come out of the tunnel, but you can't go back in. Please no complaints we don't know why it is here and we are looking into removing it. Thank you for your corporation. ~Sen and Haku," he looked at Asuko, "No wonder they didn't return they couldn't."  
  
"This is bad, really bad, "said Asuko shacking her head.  
  
Yoshi laughed an evil laugh and turned to Asuko with an evil grin. His eyes where red and if they weren't red then they were brown which was wrong, normally his eyes were blue! It seemed that there was a black ore surrounding him, inside and out. Yoshi laughed in a voice that wasn't his own, "Why is it that bad? Are you scared?" Asuko was still shaking her head and now was backing away from Yoshi, "what leaving so soon? Why don't you go tell Sen and Haku that I possessed your husband?" Asuko was still backing up, "no? But wouldn't it be so fun to try and swim across that lake, that will drown you silly human, or eat the food of the gods and get turned into a pig?" Asuko took her gaze from Yoshi and looked passed him. The field that she always remembered to be there was covered in water, even from here she could smell delicious food, Asuko was tempted to find the source of the tantalizing smell. Yoshi laughed another evil laugh, "Weak Human!" then Yoshi collapsed to the ground the black ore seemed lifted and gone.  
  
"Yoshi!" Asuko ran to Yoshi's side, her eyes full of fright and tears.  
  
Author's Note: Umm... actually there is none...lol... Oh wait I request creation credit if you use anyone at the orphanage I created them all, and Yuumi and Tsunehiko Natsuki. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ~Na 


	5. Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Chapter 4: Past  
  
"Tea, wake up," said Miki in a low whisper, he was shaking Sakura awake, it was about 21:30 and everyone else was fast asleep.  
  
"Wha.. What?" replied Sakura opening her eyes.  
  
Miki sat on the corner of Sakura's bed as she sat up. Miki looked into her eyes, "Tea, I have to tell you something. I was found when I was five my clothes were wet and by my hand lay this hair tie," Miki showed Sakura the outstretched purple hair tie that was on his wrist, "My parents were never found and I don't remember anything from that whole day. I always have these dreams of this scary place with monsters and my parents were turned into pigs, in these dreams I sometimes plunge into deep dark water and that is the last thing I'll dream. But the strange thing is I think they are memories from that day my parents disappeared and not just dreams."  
  
Sakura who was really tired just looked at him, "Miki I'm sorry could we talk about this later? I'm really tired."  
  
Miki looked at Sakura and smiled, "Yeah sorry, good-night." Miki stood up and just looked at Sakura, he felt he knew her. Sakura just fell back on her pillow and began to hum a lulling tune that was never in that world heard, until she had hummed it at the doctors. In all theory Miki never heard it, unless he had been 'Spirited Away'.  
  
As Sakura hummed sunset yellow eyes against a reddening sky flashed in her mind, "Tea I know you!" exclaimed Miki after listening to thirty seconds of Sakura's song.  
  
"What?" Sakura said sitting up, moon light shined in and illuminated Miki's face. Sakura sat up looking strait into his yellow eyes, "I know you too!"  
  
"My dream it was all true, I found you balancing on a railing and made you fall, you told me, 'Get out of here! Before the sunsets! Now!' and pushed me. I ran to my parents but they were gone, in their place was two pigs. I ran away when I saw monsters, I closed my eyes and tripped falling into the water. I woke up by the little houses on the other side of the scary red building. I remember now! All of it, that whole day, you!" exclaimed Miki hugging Sakura, "Here umm... I want you to have something."  
  
Miki pulled Sakura out of bed and over to one of the small tables. He cut himself six pieces of white string twenty centimeters long. Then he removed the purple hair tie and cut it in to two equal pieces. Miki stretched each piece until the elasticity was completely gone. Miki tied one piece of the hair tie to three pieces of string and separated them out having each white string separate and the purple hair tie with the middle piece of string. He proceeded to braid it together, Sakura seeing what he was doing copied him with the other pieces of string and hair tie. When the braid was finished a majority of it was completely white. Miki tied the braid he made around Sakura's left wrist. Sakura tied her braid around Miki's left wrist.  
  
"Now we'll never forget each other again," exclaimed Miki with a smile.  
  
"Miki? Are you alright?" asked Jiro sleepily.  
  
"Yeah," replied Miki.  
  
"Then go back to sleep," with that Jiro plopped back on his pillow and went to sleep. Sakura and Miki went back to bed.  
  
Miki no longer dreamed of the past he had forgotten, but Sakura, Sakura did she dreamed of witches, spirits, monsters, and dragons, she dreamt of her parents.  
  
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The doctor turned on the 10 o'clock news and sat down there was a special report linking two missing children cases. The doctor rushed out of his house cursing himself after they had described the most recent missing child a one Ryuichu Teataura Nushi, and the second who had been missing for two years long with his family a one Miki Natsuki.  
  
The doctor wondered why both were never found, he had cared for both of them and sent them two the same orphanage. He filed a report with the police. The doctor got in his car and drove to the address that had flashed on the television screen.  
  
The doctor finally realized Ryu had the name Sakura written down and not Ryuichi. And Miki had been Miki but was probably never looked at because they were looking for whole families that were said to have disappeared a week after Miki was found. No matter what it said that would lead a person to believe that Sakura and Ryu were not the same and it was just as coincidence that there was two missing Miki's of the same age only a weeks difference didn't matter the doctor never forgot a face.  
  
The doctor pulled up to a small house in a small town, the address he knew was correct. The doctor walked up and knocked on the door.  
  
After awhile a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes opened the door, he was in a white t-shirt and boxers.  
  
"Hello, I am Dr. Shiro, umm... I tended to both Miki Natsuki, and Ryuichi Teataura Nushi. I'm sorry but both had no family or memory so I sent them to an orphanage, which is standard for such cases, then I filed a report to the police. I'm sorry, really."  
  
Yoshi just looked at the doctor and yelled into the house, "Asuko! Someone knows where Tea and Miki are! Call the Natsuki's!" the doctor and Yoshi heard someone running half way across the house and pick up the phone. Not long after was the person talking to another on the other end of the line.  
  
Yoshi invited the doctor in for tea while they waited for the Natsuki's to arrive and then they would all drive the almost three hour drive and pick up Miki and Ryu. The doctor called and woke up Ms. Tori saying that the families of Miki and Sakura were found and they would be there at 3:00. the tired Ms. Tori agreed to have the release papers ready and the two children awake.  
  
----------  
  
An evil sorcerer laughed, he was going to have the rule he always wanted. Rule over the Spirit World, after reinstating many of Yu-Baaba's spell, such as turning humans to pigs, and adding a few of his own like the one way force field, he believed that nothing could stop him.  
  
Especially now that the two most famous heroes of the Spirit World were morning the loss of their daughter. He laughed once again at that thought.  
  
----------  
  
"Why did you wake us up Ms. Tori?" asked Miki at about 2:50.  
  
"Your parent's are coming to take you home, isn't that wonderful?" said Ms. Tori.  
  
Miki gave Sakura a confused look, she knew why Miki's parents were pigs.  
  
----------  
  
As the doctor, Asuko, Yoshi, Yuumi and Tsunehiko walked up the steps to the orphanage the doctor reminded them that both of the children suffered memory loss.  
  
He knocked on the door, a few seconds later the short dark skinned, dark haired, dark eyed, yet kind Ms. Tori answered the door. Ms. Tori quickly brought them in and into the living room where the children were waiting.  
  
Asuko walked in first, "Ryuichi!" Sakura looked at her for a second, "come on Tea you remember me, It's me..."  
  
"Au' Suko (short for Aunt Asuko, sounds like Asuko)!" exclaimed Ryu running into Asuko's out stretched arms.  
  
Miki hated Ryu at that second, she was reunited with her family but he wasn't. Miki's thoughts were interrupted by another woman crying, "Miki!"  
  
"Aunt Yuumi? Uncle Tsunehiko? Auntie, Uncle!" Miki exclaimed running to Yuumi and Tsunehiko.  
  
Ms. Tori and Dr. Shiro quickly signed all the paper work and the reunited 'families' (remember Asuko and Yoshi aren't related to Ryu) left the orphanage.  
  
Before the 'families' and doctor got in their own cars Ryu exclaimed, "Miki your parents! You must return home with me!"  
  
"Umm.... Sweetie," gently cooed Yuumi, "Miki's parents were never found."  
  
Ryu walked up to Yuumi and began to speak as if she was older then six, she comforted Yuumi, "I know Miki and his parents have been missing for two years, and that you just got Miki back. But I can get his parent's back with the help of Miki. He must come back to my home, now."  
  
"I don't understand," replied Tsunehiko.  
  
Yoshi and Asuko nodded in agreement they didn't know that Miki's parents were pigs.  
  
"Au' Suko! Miki is the boy I saved two years ago!" exclaimed Ryu frustrated that Asuko and Yoshi didn't realize it.  
  
"Oh...Oh yes, Yuumi, Tsunehiko, she is right. Though we can't really explain, Miki has to go back to Tea's parents, to the bathhouse Aburaya. Without you and without us. But you don't have to worry they will be safe with Tea's Grandmother, Great grandfather, and parents," replied Yoshi softly.  
  
Yuumi and Tsunehiko looked from Asuko, to Yoshi, to Ryu their eyes were mournful and truthful. Their eyes lastly landed on Miki, who was sad and hopeful. They knew that they were only the aunt and uncle of Miki and if their was anyway to get Miki back in his parent's arms then they had to do it. They nodded.  
  
Author Note: I know it is short. Could you please review this story because if it seems that no one is reading this then I'll put the story on hold for a very long time Thanks! ~Na 


	6. Return

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author Note: I know it is short. And I am also sorry that it took awhile for me to post. But it is only because I switch between writing chapters for this and my other story it was my other story's turn and It took a long time because I was away for a few weekends. So here it is the next chapter I hope you like it, this story wont be postponed.  
  
I forgot to say in the first chapter that this is Part One out of... Well actually I'm not 100% sure yet but I think only Two. Happy Reading!  
  
Na  
  
Chapter 5: Return  
  
Ryu and Miki returned to Asuko and Yoshi's house at around seven in the morning. With a swift goodbye Ryu set off running dragging Miki behind her. Ryu almost ran strait to the tunnel if not for the nagging though that both Rinako Naoko and Mishu-Kapi must have also been worried about her.  
  
So Ryu dragging Miki ran to the river just in time to see her 'cousins' take their separate ways Morio returning to the depths of the forest and Kawatarou to the depths of the water, to avoid being seen by humans. "Aunt Rin, Uncle Shu, Kawatarou, Morio!" yelled Ryu, running to a stop at the edge of the forest and river.  
  
"Ryu/Tea!?!" yelled the four, Rinako Naoko and Kawatarou calling her Tea and Mishu-Kapi and Morio calling her Ryu. They all met together on the edge of the river in a big group hug after Kawatarou and Mishu-Kapi changed into their human forms. The hug excluding Miki who stood a few meters away panting. Dozens of questions were thrown at Ryu, so she didn't know where to begin.  
  
They all stopped hugging Ryu and Mishu-Kapi and Kawatarou returned to the river from whence they came, bring a startled frightened look to Miki's face who had not seen the change in the beginning. Rinako Naoko who was still hugging Ryu and waiting for the answer to any of the questions that were still being thrown at the young girl. There was so many voice that Ryu was having trouble picking out a singular question. But then one frightened trembling question reached her ears, "W...Wha...What... i....i....is... going on here?"  
  
Everyone turned to acknowledge Miki's trembling presents, as he slowly shook his head and backed away. Ryu tried to calm Miki's fears, "This is my family. My father is a river spirit much like my Uncle Shu here. And that is Aunt Rin a forest spirit and the two are my cousins Morio who is more prone to the forest and Kawatarou prone to the river and water life."  
  
"Ya... ya... ya... your n... n... no... not Hue...hue... hue... m... m... man... Human?" stuttered Miki in utter shock and fear.  
  
"My mother is a human. Miki your going to have to believe me that they wont hurt you. Miki look at me, its me Tea the same Tea as always I never looked or acted different, I can't change to a dragon, but some of my 'family' members can and some can't. But your going to have to trust and realize what most people want children to be afraid of couldn't hurt a fly." Replied Ryu in a soft voice. Miki calmed down but refused to get closer to Ryu's 'family'.  
  
"Tea sweetie, There is ..." began Rinako Naoko.  
  
"I know Aunt Rin a force field, but we must go," replied Ryu turning back towards Rinako Naoko.  
  
"Then go now," said Rinako Naoko giving Ryu a quick hug, "But don't swim the lake, I'm afraid it could drown you with magick now."  
  
"Don't worry, Miki is afraid of water, ever since we saved him Aunt Rin," replied Ryu with a playful smile.  
  
"You must go, you've been away from home to long," whispered over the river.  
  
Ryu turned on her heels and walked back to Miki she offered him her hand which he took. Miki had to admit it he was almost scared of Ryu, but he had the vivid memory of where they were going, back to the scary, dark, building in the woods, back to the Spirit World.  
  
The walk to the building didn't seem at all long, but the tunnel seemed long, an eternity to walk through. With the same moldy smell and eerie feel that it did two years ago.  
  
Finally the pair made it to the other side, Ryu stopped no more then a few seconds studying the warning set up by her parents that lay just on the other side of the tunnel. While Ryu ignored the warning and the point that the endless blue lake stretched out before them when in the early morning light there should have been lush green grass. Miki on the other hand was becoming very scared. Since he was with a girl and a younger girl at that he refused to show just how afraid he was, as Ryu pulled him through the unnoticeable force field. When the were on the other side Miki looked back over his shoulder, to see that there was indeed a force field that was rippling red from their bodies passing through.  
  
Ryu looked around in any hope that, anyone she knew was there. Ryu was about to give up hope of a swift return to Aburaya when the Yu-Bird caught her eye. The Yu-Bird was no longer a scout for Yu-Baaba, but in her passing became, basically jobless. But now it was evident that it had a job guard the gate to the Human World. Taking its job seriously the Yu-Bird unfurled its wings and took off to the skies heading strait to Aburaya.  
  
"Ten minutes tops," said Ryu with a smile and sitting on the small patch of grass between the water and the force field.  
  
"Till?" asked Miki still confused. He knew where he was but it just seemed so different darker, colder, scarier, evil.  
  
"My parent's come to take us home. I hope that wont have to get a job, a guest of mine isn't a guest of Aburaya," replied Ryu.  
  
"A job?" asked Miki worried a little he was only seven a job would be to much for him.  
  
"Don't worry. Hey look there they are!" exclaimed Ryu pointing to the sky and jumping to her feet.  
  
Miki followed her finger to where it pointed at a white and slightly green ribbon like dragon. One second he was looking at a dragon the next two humans slowly falling to the ground.  
  
When Chihiro and Kohaku placed foot on solid ground in front of Ryu and Miki. Ryu wasted no time and leapt into her parents arms. Both Kohaku and Chihiro where crying tears of joy for seeing and holding their daughter once more in there arms.  
  
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"Drat! She returned and with a petrified little friend how... utterly annoying! How am I going to take over this world with the little ones here?" said the evil sorcerer who was watching the scene through an onyx ball. The onyx ball functioned something like a crystal ball would. But the onyx ball was made of pure evil and was not to see the future but to be used like a window, television, or a persons own eyes. The onyx ball could put an 'eye' where ever the sorcerer wanted, so the sorcerer could see and hear whatever he wanted.  
  
The evil sorcerer decided to turn his mind to another thing perhaps not to much more important then figuring out a way to remove the children, and once again throwing the parents into a depression. A quick thought trickled into his head, he could kidnap them. The sorcerer quickly diminished the thought that was most likely the most dangerous thing he could do. It could bring an unexpected and unneeded fight upon him. Plus the boy was human and the girl a halfling, not even worth eating.  
  
At the thought of eating he returned to his planned distraction to clear his mind and allow him to think. The sorcerer walked down to the dungeon where he was currently keeping his dinner. He frowned at the sight that he saw there was only two of those stinking bat monsters left out of the whole race and when he had eaten them he would have to hunt more food.  
  
Now the sorcerer was neither cannibal or vampire. Most likely because he wasn't a bat monster and pretty sure he was the last of his kind, and he didn't drink the blood. It just so happened that he ate other creatures from the Spirit world because each had some sort of magick that he could absorb and use in whatever way the sorcerer saw fit, not to mention the strength. In reality he ate the souls of his victims and occasionally their flesh only after extensive seasoning. The sorcerer tried not to be wasteful he used as much as he found edible or useful. Occasionally blood and bones where kept for spells or scrying, fear which could be liquidized made a fine wine and the braver the host the finer the wine became. Magick to strengthen his own. Souls drawn from the near dead bodies for food, though he was in the Spirit World the food variety was better here and more tasteful, and everyone could still die.  
  
The sorcerer looked at the two remaining bat monsters who had just jolted from the restful places and backed up against the wall of their cell. With a simple thought the metal door of the cell unlocked and swung uneasy on rusty hinges. The sorcerer walked through the open door and continued slowly to the two quivering bat monsters. They weren't even worth making wine out of the fear had consumed them. The sorcerer had no clue at how these two whimpering creatures could have lived so long. The sorcerer drew a small black gothic looking dagger known as the 'Soul Blade' which extracts the souls from bodies making meal preparing simple.  
  
The sorcerer grabbed one of the bat monsters and held it above his head by the scruff of its brown/black fur. The sorcerer gave an evil grin as the creature begged for life, "You don't want to eat me, I can help you." The sorcerer would have looked astound if he had not hid the expression. He defiantly didn't to expect a coward to sound as he had there was no fear in his voice he was actually very strong. The sorcerer raised his blade and saw how the creature in his hands didn't flinch while the one against the wall did. The sorcerer whipped the knife at the wall and with in seconds the fearful bat monster was nearing death and its extracted black colored soul hovered over its head bound by the blade.  
  
"What is your name?" asked the sorcerer dropping the bat monster and retrieving the soul ripping it apart with his teeth like crusted bread.  
  
"Hiyae. Your liege."  
  
"Well Hiyae, I don't have allies, You'll be breakfast!" yelled the sorcerer walking out of the cell as the door slammed shut behind him. In truth the sorcerer trusted no one, he never saw how any great evil could have henchman. Henchman always ruined things, careful plans. The sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs distracted the sorcerer, "Speaking of the devil, my old master."  
  
The sorcerer knew henchman were the fault in plans, because he himself was the fault in his old master's plan, deliberately ruining it so he could pursue his own domination. "Master," said the sorcerer with a low bow as a second man entered the room. He had done it in a complete mocking manner, but his old master didn't mind, there was business.  
  
"Paige, why did you kill all the bat monsters? They are evil like us!" replied the elder former master.  
  
"Well evil souls taste better, though good magick is stronger on occasion. Plus they aren't all dead there is one left," snarled the sorcerer.  
  
"Are those the only reasons?" snapped the other.  
  
The sorcerer grinned evilly and advanced on his former master, "No, you see I can't have any other evil try and take what is mine."  
  
"And what is that Paige?"  
  
"World domination of course," smiled the sorcerer. The elder man let out a small chuckle at the thought of his old Paige ruling the Spirit World, "You know what else Master? I can't have anyone get in my way, and..." the word 'Master' was spat out of the sorcerer's mouth.  
  
"And what Paige?!" spat the elder man.  
  
"I'm no longer your Paige!" and with those words the sorcerer plunged the Soul Blade into the elder mans gut extracting the dark, evil soul and leaving a minute before the man died, and a fifteen minute window to harness his magick, "nor am I your henchmen, or apprentice I am nothing to you. But you, you are something to me... My dinner!"  
  
Then the sorcerer got an idea, an evil sinister idea. One to strike fear in the hearts of Spirit World citizens, one that would remove the children. A weak attempt at an early attack using his old masters body, and the spirit of a cowering bat monster.  
  
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Miki had had a very long and eventful first day besides meeting the rest of Ryu's family; Her grandmother Zeniiba or Granny, Her great grandfather Kamajii, Bou which should have been like an uncle but was still a baby, and Kaonashi who well Miki didn't know who he was, but Ryu apologized for loosing the hair ties and he gave her two more. Ryu also returned to a slightly oversized orange uniform like her mother's with a navy blue apron, Miki was also dressed in an oversized although not by much, uniform like Ryu's father Kohaku's.  
  
Now Miki was laying down on a sleeping pallet in Ryu's room it was very late in the night, Miki had never gone to bed at such a late hour. But it was explained to him that they worked at night and slept though very little during the day.  
  
Zeniiba had tried the give Chihiro the night off but she had politely refused at Ryu's request who wanted to show Miki how to tend and scrub the baths. So all four, Kohaku, Chihiro, Ryu, and Miki tended a very kind god named Oshira-Sama the Daikon radish god.  
  
Ryu was already fast asleep in the bed above Miki. Although Miki was having trouble sleeping, he was excited, scared, but most of all this place had made him think was it good to be here, with his pig parents and a new appending evil or better to be home with his aunt and uncle. Miki then added the thought or back at the orphanage. But Miki smiled as he laid there on the pallet, whatever the right or safer choice was this situation was agreeing with him.  
  
Author Note: I request creation credit for the sorcerer and his old master. Also in the previous story I put creation credit on Hiyae and the bat monsters, so just give me the credit please. Merci!  
  
Na 


	7. For the Little Ones

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author Note: I am sorry that it took awhile for me to post. I was away for a week in a place without computers (a working camp). I also have a presentation due in two weeks so I won't get to much writing done for any of my stories. So here it is the next chapter I hope you like it, tell me what you think. Happy Reading!  
  
Na  
  
Chapter 6: For the Little Ones  
  
The sorcerer was very pleased with himself and his master creation. As promised he returned for Hiyae early that morning as if to eat his soul. Hiyae once again not looking afraid of his own death and the consumption of his soul, offered a partnership.  
  
The sorcerer who surprisingly agreed, but only when Hiyae swore allegiance on that, that was most unholy, dark, and evil, a slang term for this object is 'The Nipping Skull'. A skull of the most unlikely traitor, a holy man of some religion that in the face of death coward to the devil, saying such simple words as, 'I want to be on the prevailing side.' This person was killed in the end... killed as evil, the past forgotten. The skull of this man is hardly clean it is a dark brown color of hundreds, thousands of years of dried blood. To swear on this skull you must place a hand on it and then it will nip you, take a piece of your flesh as well as your soul binding you to the owner of the skull.  
  
Bat monsters, in general are born with three fingers on each hand, six in all. But after this promise, this binding Hiyae was a five fingered beast. Hiyae had no time to scream in pain because the second the skull was finished the sorcerer had thrust the Soul Blade with great force into Hiyae and drawing out his soul.  
  
With careful work and hours of quiet the sorcerer resurrected his old master with Hiyae's soul. A weak almost powerless soul that was a willing or not (more willing) expendable slave.  
  
The sorcerer left his creation at an old unused house in Swamp Bottom and told it, 'Kill Zeniiba, Kill Haku, Kill Sen, Kill their Brat! I don't care just destroy Aburaya!' The sorcerer was sure that the beast would fail, since it was only left with minimal magick, enough to be convincing.  
  
The sorcerer knew that the revived mind of his old master (or his new string puppet), and the intertwining soul of his slave Hiyae would plan their attack out and at the most take a week. But now that he had no more souls to eat, and that his puppet(old master) would no longer stop by to complain. The sorcerer had time to hunt. Shadow spirits came to mind but shadows where one on the very few that he could not ultimately extinguish, but he could take a few hundred of the Shadow spirit's, shadow warriors. At the time it didn't matter where his next great meal source came from, for he had a few days until the power, strength, and fullness of his string puppets soul left his stomach grumbling.  
  
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Miki slunk over to the sliding door dragging a dirty water bucket as Ryu went and got breakfast. Though both were officially not under a contract at Aburaya, they were now tending their own tub. One of the smaller easier jobs, Ant spirits and what not, although they were kept under watchful eye, any of those who's eyes could be spared, normally Kaonashi.  
  
Zeniiba's reasoning for this was, three or four people at one tub was really to much. As well as after the first few days of helping Miki got into the routine, and both children were strangely responsible enough.  
  
As much as Miki's near week of work looked like Child Labor it wasn't. He wasn't getting paid, yes. But the children were given the choice to work or not each day, and although they acted mature and responsible at heart it was all a big game.  
  
Miki poured out the water out and then quickly walked down to the tub that the two had that day, as usual he got to the stall and both Kaonashi and Ryu were there eating breakfast, a third bowl of rice waiting for him.  
  
Not to long after Miki began his breakfast, an Yuna and Kohaku came in to the stall. The Yuna was obviously not happy at all she was grumbling as she picked up a broom and started to sweep the floor. Ryu looked suspiciously at her father who just smiled and ruffled Ryu's pig tails.  
  
"You two are coming with me, I happen to be the fastest person in going to Swamp Bottom and back. Kamajii needs some herbs that only grow in the swamp," said Kohaku with a smile he knew how much his daughter enjoyed flying with him.  
  
Without a second thought Ryu dropped her near empty bowl and went dashing off down the corridor towards the boiler room. Miki rushed off after Ryu but he had already lost sight of her and wasn't sure exactly how to get to the boiler room. So he slowed his pace and waited for Kohaku.  
  
When Kohaku and Miki made it down to the boiler room, Ryu was sitting on the ground her feet dangling over the edge of the raised section before it is lowered for the Susuwatari. Ryu was attentively watching the Susuwatari and Kamajii work.  
  
Kamajii glanced over his shoulder to see his new comers, "What no breakfast?" Kamajii said as a good hearty joke.  
  
"Chihiro brought you your meal already, and how many times must she tell you to leave the dishes out for her? Now what herbs do you need?" asked Kohaku returning Kamajii's odd greeting.  
  
"Sorrow's Bells, Bleeding Sorrow's Bells, and Bog Bain," replied Kamajii still turning the crank and grinding herbs for bath mixtures. A red and black token dropped from the ceiling and Kamajii grumbled.  
  
(A/N: Herbs are made up, or special Spirit World herbs either way They don't exist here. And if the names do the plant doesn't.)  
  
Kohaku being no herbiest hadn't any idea exactly what he was to be looking for. With a shy ashamed cough Kohaku asked, "What are those exactly?" Kamajii let out a big sigh and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Dad they are the same three that we always get at Swamp Bottom," exclaimed Ryu.  
  
"Well why didn't you just say that?" asked Kohaku laughing a little, half at himself.  
  
"Now remember When the Sorrow's Bells flower is purple, it is poisonous and useless to me and dangerous, the blue blooms are the matured flowers that I need and the Bleeding Sorrow's Bells are when the bloom is over matured and is red," replied Kamajii.  
  
A little uncertain Kohaku replied, "Don't worry I'm 26 years old I can figure it out, I always do don't I?"  
  
"Yeah just no Purple flowers! They are impossible to get rid of without endangering anyone!" replied Kamajii.  
  
"Ok, well come on you two we best be off," replied Kohaku shooing the children towards the back door that lead to the steep set of stairs.  
  
Outside Kohaku changed into a dragon on the rather small platform just outside the boiler room door. Ryu and Miki climbed on Kohaku's back and he flew off into the sky. It wasn't that Kohaku was getting more responsible, he still jumped out of high windows with Chihiro before turning into a dragon. But he was a father, and a father of an energetic girl and he did not dare to free fall with her.  
  
----------  
  
The evil creation of the sorcerer sat in a low lighted kitchen that used to belong to Zeniiba. The main source of light being a roaring fire that cracked with little bits of ember flying out every few minutes or so.  
  
The monster let out an low evil laugh as his plan was finally formulated. He would attack the next day at noon. Sneaking into Aburaya and killing Zeniiba, Bou, Kohaku, Chihiro, Ryu, and Miki well before the unknowing workers woke up and when that happened he would kill the cowering slugs and frogs, while they begged for their saviors, unless of course they saw the mutilated bodies, blood stained floors, and heads mounted on sticks for all to see. Then the monster would watch as the hope slipped from the Yuna and Aogaeru, then he would kill them.  
  
The monster laughed again, as he set aside those evil plains and moved on to a way that he could steal the Nipping Skull from the sorcerer, and he himself could rule the Spirit World.  
  
Unknowing to the monster, the sorcerer had anticipated this, because it was exactly what he would have done. So the sorcerer was taking extra precautions to make sure that Kohaku and Chihiro would prevail over the monster, because it was the plain from the very beginning, and like he had said, "I don't have allies."  
  
The monster's sinister laughing was cut short when the magick from the force field surrounding the house let him know that something was approaching.  
  
----------  
  
Kohaku looked ahead and saw the small clearing in which Zeniiba's old house resided. The house looked the same as always except a few minor differences; the windows were only light by a dim light and not Zeniiba's bright warm welcoming light, and there was a fire going, just like Zeniiba would have had. The obvious thing troubling Kohaku was that Zeniiba no longer lived there, and to Kohaku's knowledge no one else did.  
  
"Who's at Granny's dad?" asked Ryu, when she saw the smoke coming from chimney.  
  
Kohaku obviously didn't answer no longer having the tongue of a human, but he was as curious as his daughter and quickly descended, landing not to far from the house in question.  
  
As quickly as Kohaku landed on the ground was as quick as the children retreated from his back. Kohaku slowly approached the house unchanged and then a second thought that it was only a poor homeless man trickled into Kohaku's thoughts. As Kohaku walked he changed to his less ferocious human like form. Though he did remain slightly scaly looking prepared to change either way at a seconds notice.  
  
Kohaku slowly edged himself towards the house, while Ryu and Miki stood a bit back and watched both worried and scared about not knowing what would happen next.  
  
Kohaku's outstretched hand touched something rather warm and painful , with a small bounce to is. Red ripples appeared out of now where under the pressure of Kohaku's burning hand. Kohaku pulled his hand back it was almost burned from the energy from the force field. Kohaku turned astonished to the children, "We're going home now!"  
  
With that Kohaku walked back quickly to Ryu and Miki, changing as he went. Ryu and Miki climbed on Kohaku's back, and they sped off into the sky.  
  
----------  
  
The sorcerer stabbed a small Wish Sprit in the stomach with his Soul Blade, a pure white soul seeped out and floated in the air. The sorcerer had taken a day or two to exactly chose the next race to endanger and make extinct. He had decided on the Wish Sprits because they cut themselves off from the rest of the world afraid of granting wishes that were not of pure love and more to ruthful lust, and pointless passion. The Wish Sprits would prove to be a great magickal asset and would go unnoticed of their sudden disappearance. Though they did take up rather a lot of energy to catch. The sorcerer felt that he was rather in luck and only one maybe two escaped and flew off, most likely to warn another Wish Spirit settlement. Assuming they lived long enough with the wounds the sorcerer had inflicted on every last one.  
  
The sorcerer struggled with the soul like tuff meat or staling bread. Because the soul was a good and pure soul something a bit tougher for his evil body to digest. Between bites the sorcerer laughed all was going to plan, well the children returning was never in the plan, but it was being taken care of as he chewed. Or at least the sorcerer hoped that the beast he created would move to destroy Aburaya soon.  
  
----------  
  
The monster paced in the kitchen of the small cottage. His plans were being pushed back a day if he attacked the next day they could be ready for him. That and he wanted to see if they would strike first. That would have put him on the defensive, but the over confident beast believed that they would still die.  
  
----------  
  
A dying Wish Sprit, known none other as Gingko, plummeted to the ground she had flown as far as Kniknichmai in her desperate hope to make it to Aburaya, to call on old friends to once more save her life and her people from the thought enslavement.  
  
In a last breath before Gingko lost consciousness she cast a wish of love for her people and the future of all, to the wind hoping against hope that it would be granted, "I wish someone could stop him before he takes another life." With these words Gingko's eyes rolled back in her head and her breathing became shallow as she laid unconscious on the ground.  
  
----------  
  
Miki was sitting cross legged on his sleeping pallet, Ryu was on the bed complaining that she wasn't allowed to talk to Zeniiba with her parents about whatever was at the cottage in Swamp Bottom and their plains to deal with the situation. Zeniiba was already being worn thin at trying to remove the force field and change the pigs back to humans. The pig count was now five, Miki's parents, a couple teenage boys who were trying to prove their worth with vandalisms, and an old homeless lady. The last three ignoring the sign and some how making it across the magick induced water that would have the capability the drown even Ryu. This knowledge only being known after seven Aogaeru lost their lives to the blue watery depths.  
  
Miki tried to calm Ryu and get her mind off the pending evil that threatened to lock them here in this world and make them eat humans(pigs) for dinner. "So how is it possible for your father to be a river spirit and your mother human?" asked Miki, this particular question had been nagging him for the past few days, and he just had the piece of mind or nervousness to hold his tongue before than.  
  
Ryu calmed down in a second and an ear to ear grin replaced the frown on her face. She was a miracle, she knew, but wasn't it just enough to everyone that she was alive?, "Well it depends on who you speak to. Kamajii and Arikii both say that it was love that my parents share, and when love is involved anything is possible. Zeniiba will tell you a story about dragons being granted one wish and my father's wish was to have a family with my mom. I even heard about old mythology where gods and humans had children and they were Demigods, so if those cultures believed in Gods and humans together why not Spirits and humans? A few people say that a new evil will come and my parents wont be able to defeat it, that only their joint force can, which is their explanation for why I am here. I just say that I'm here, don't think of why, just think of how long and what to do in the time that I grace this and the other world. Because one day I'll die and then I'll be a memory, a story, and then a myth... People who read about me, hear about me when I am a myth will except I existed with out question, because they'll believe I'm a story nothing more. We are all stories in the end and I don't want mine to be centered around the possibilities of my existence, because as you can see I do exist and if it is enough for me, shouldn't it be enough for you and the rest of the worlds?"  
  
"Yeah I guess so. I don't want to die..." replied Miki looking down at his blanket.  
  
"Me neither, why don't we make a deal," replied Ryu jumping off her bed and grabbed to pieces of paper and a couple pens, before she sat on the floor next to Miki.  
  
Miki looked at her as she began to write on the paper, "What sort of deal?"  
  
"That we will always be friends, and we will die together, so neither of us will be scared," replied Ryu jotting down the last few words on the second sheet of paper.  
  
"Ok deal," said Miki with a smile holding out his hands to shake Ryu's and seal the deal.  
  
Ryu signed her name on each piece of paper and handed them to Miki, "Ok but you need to sign the contract, I've seen Granny do this a few times, and you can't break the deal when it is on paper." Miki nodded and signed his name next to Ryu's. Miki handed the pen and one paper back to Ryu and each pocketed their contracts.  
  
"I'm tired we should go to bed," yawned Miki, plopping down on his pallet.  
  
Ryu nodded and climbed back in her bed, the sun had already rose, and they needed sleep. Ryu flicked off the bedside lamp, the rooms only source of light, as she herself lay down to sleep.  
  
----------  
  
Kohaku and Chihiro flew back to Zeniiba's old cottage, It was what had been decided. For the two of them to see if they could find any new information. Strangely as they flew closer to Swamp Bottom the colder it got and the ground far ahead matched the white snow cloud filled sky.  
  
Kohaku fought the chilly winter air and flew strait towards Swamp Bottom, strait to the impending storm. The closest Kohaku could fly safely was the train stop, he landed carefully as the platform and moss covered clock were already feeling the wrath of the snow, and were covered in ice.  
  
Chihiro climbed off of Kohaku's back and slipped on the ice, putting a hand on the newly changed Kohaku's shoulder so she wouldn't fall. Kohaku helped Chihiro walk off the platform to the less icy, snow covered path that once led to Zeniiba's cottage.  
  
"Chihiro, I haven't seen weather like this in a long time," said Kohaku trudging through the shin deep snow.  
  
"I know and it's concentrated only here in Swamp Bottom. Like that time at Aburaya with..." Chihiro couldn't finish her sentence, the 'child' in question was, not dead but it seemed as if he was, it was said he would never return, "But he was said to never return to go where none dwell!"  
  
"He isn't returning, this isn't Aburaya. We never knew where he went and at the time Swamp Bottom was unoccupied," replied Kohaku picking up his pace in the raising snow.  
  
"Ok you have a point. But then why is he doing this, and why now?" asked Chihiro fighting her way through knee deep snow. If her vision wasn't blurred then she would have still been able to see the train platform.  
  
"I don't Kn... Who is that!?" said Kohaku pointing at a small human shaped figure, that was just a silhouette of gray surrounded by the white of snow. As the person walked closer the snow slowed its falling till it stopped.  
  
Chihiro looked at what Kohaku was talking about just as the snow stopped and they could clearly see the approaching figure. A pale figure of a young five year old boy with pale skin of the snow and hair to match. The unchanged face was easily recognized, as the old spirit approach those he had once listened to, and obeyed.  
  
Both Kohaku and Chihiro were overjoyed to see the spirit that had left so many years ago. They felt like crying and hugging the small boy who was older then all of them but still looked younger then Ryu. But the two stopped at the sight of the spirit's face, though he looked five they face was stripped of that age. The days of playing and merriment were over.  
  
"Sen, Haku... The monster that has cursed and threatened this land is dead," replied the spirit somehow (though shorter then both Chihiro and Kohaku) looking down at the couple.  
  
"But why did you kill him..." Chihiro began she still couldn't bring herself to say his name.  
  
"Saki?" finished Kohaku.  
  
Saki smiled, "For the little ones of course. Now go home and return the boy to his, I killed this monster but there is another, one how wants the little ones gone. Parents or not get the boy to where he belongs, and keep young Tea close to family. Fix what this monster has done, for the little ones." While Saki talked he placed two necklaces, like the raindrop necklace that Chihiro has worn since her wedding, but these two were adorn with a snowflake magickally held near the chain and as warm as your own hand. But a single large snowflake without a doubt.  
  
Chihiro and Kohaku inspected the necklaces that were obviously for Miki and Ryu. Chihiro raised her head to thank Saki, but he was gone. The snow covered grown told the story: Saki was gone never to return here, and Swamp Bottom had seen its last snowfall, and the last drop of blood that would fall. Although he wouldn't be seen, Swamp Bottom and the good that inhabits it will fall under the protection of the magick of the old Snow Spirit Shigekazu Sawaguchi. Just like no shadow of evil (at least) can return to Aburaya for the undying magick of the wise Rain Spirit Rei Keiko Ami Sawaguchi.  
  
----------  
  
There was a crowd, well not so much of a crowd only Kohaku, Chihiro, Ryu, Miki, Zeniiba, Kaonashi, Kamajii, and a few brave Aogaeru who had swam the water in the night air and made it without drowning. Sadly this crowd that stood (magickally of course) on the human side of the river in front of the red building, did not include the parents of Miki.  
  
Zeniiba assured them all that the magick was strong and will wear off in a week at the most. Miki was unconvinced and sad, he didn't want to leave without his parents. He didn't want to leave his best (and currently only) friend behind.  
  
Kohaku and Chihiro had presented the two with Saki's gift and explained how Miki must return to his Aunt and Uncle. Miki had a sour face and held fast to his position claiming he wasn't going to move.  
  
Both Chihiro and Kohaku slowly approached the door to the tunnel with hands outstretched, expecting to still meet the burning red force field. They almost fell as they walked with ease over the thresh hold of the red building, and they walked back through. Chihiro looked at Miki, "Ok Miki come on, I'll take you two your Aunt and Uncle's house." Chihiro held her hand out to Miki.  
  
Miki shook his head and stomped his foot, "No! I'm not going!"  
  
"Miki you need to go back to where you belong, with family," said Zeniiba taking a step towards Miki.  
  
"My parents are here!" snapped Miki.  
  
Ryu was getting very annoyed, "Your such a brat Miki!" with that Ryu charged at Miki and pushed him across the thresh hold along with herself. Miki tripped and fell. His eyes filled with tears though he tried to hold them back. Miki was glaring at Ryu, he felt betrayed. Miki got up and ran out of the tunnel.  
  
"Miki wait!" yelled Ryu starting after Miki.  
  
"Ryu get back here, I'll make sure Miki is alright!" said Chihiro. Ryu turned back around and walked back towards her home, towards the Spirit world.  
  
Chihiro and Ryu stepped to the thresh hold at the same time Chihiro was thrown back and knocked unconscious as soon as she came in contact with the rippling red force field that once again blocked the door. Ryu hovered a minute in the force field before it decided she couldn't go through and lightly pushed her back.  
  
Chihiro, who was surrounded by many concerned faces, shot strait up into a sitting position her eyes seemed to glow red and her grin was the most hideous and evil. Chihiro laughed and then spoke in a voice not her own, "Spirits can leave and Humans can come. And little halfling brats are kept on the side they stand. My minion might be dead but I still live!" Chihiro laughed once more an evil laugh and then once again fell unconscious as a black aura lifted from her.  
  
Kohaku didn't once leave Chihiro's side, but he turned towards Ryu with eyes full of concern for her and only her, "Ryu sweetie you can't come back. Go, go to Asuko and Yoshi and live with them until you can return to us. Have them call Miki's family to make sure Miki got home. Be good sweetie, don't worry about us, and you will return home to us. Now go, and Ryu I love you."  
  
Ryu's eyes filled with tears, Ryu never cried only when she had a flesh wound. When she was a baby she never cried, but now... now was different she could see her mother hurt and her fathers tears but a red (only when touched) wall stopped her. Stopped her from returning home. Ryu cried, then as if she was ashamed of the tears she turned quickly on her heels and ran out of the tunnel.  
  
Author Note: I request creation credit for the monster that was the old master and Hiyae. Also in the previous story I put creation credit on Saki and Raki (although she was only mentioned in this story), so just give me the credit please. Merci! This is NOT the end of the story, but it is the end of part 1. Please tell me watcha think! Merci!  
  
Na 


	8. Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author Note: Happy Reading!  
  
-Na  
  
Part 2  
  
Chapter 7: Reunion  
  
Ryu walked home from school with a huge grin on her face today was the first day of summer vacation. She had actually gotten out of school a week earlier then the other schools in the area, which made the first week of summer vacation the best. Knowing she was enjoying sand and surf while others sat in sticky classrooms.  
  
Ryu reached the little brown house that has been her home for the past seven years. She quickly walked into the house kicking her shoes off and throwing her backpack down in triumph.  
  
"Tea is that you?" asked a female voice from the kitchen.  
  
"Who else would it be Au'Suko at this time on a Thursday the last day of school?" replied Ryu walking into the kitchen and sitting at the table.  
  
The black haired lady who was in her early thirties hesitated as she sat down beside Ryu, "We need to talk Tea. Mrs. Natsuki telephoned today, you remember Miki Natsuki's Aunt. Well she said that she was really worried about Miki and that she would like it if you would help him. And we could bring him back to where his parents were. She wanted to know if you would be willing to help to go to Miki's school tomorrow and help out, I guess you just need to talk to him be a friend and all."  
  
Ryu thought about this she remembered Miki, and how he ran away from them seven years ago. But Miki was a smart boy and ran to his aunt and uncles house in the next town over. But Ryu hasn't seen, let alone spoken to Miki in the last seven years. Ryu also knew that it was now possible or theoretically to go back to the Spirit World. For a year now the force field has been switching what can go in and what can go out every week or so. And this Saturday would begin a week where humans could go to the Spirit World. The theory is that if Ryu went with a human (or spirit) then she could cross through as well. But another day of school! Well the positives out numbered the negatives. Ryu still deep in thought just nodded.  
  
---------- Next Morning----------  
  
Ryu walked into the biology classroom her first class of the day as well as Miki's. Ryu had no idea how Yuumi arranged for her to attend Miki's classes for the last week but she did. Ryu looked around the class in search of Miki but she didn't see him, though she did notice an empty two man desk in the middle of the far right row.  
  
"Excuse me can I help you?" asked the teacher.  
  
"Oh yes sorry, I'm new in this class," replied Ryu breaking out of her trance and handing the teacher a note.  
  
The teacher rose a eyebrow and then handed Ryu a biology book, "Well welcome Ryuichi, my name is Mr. Tsuni. You can take a seat at the empty desk over there the person sitting next to you and your lab partner in Natsuki, Miki." Ryu just bowed slightly with a smile and quickly took her seat.  
  
Ryu riffled through her backpack searching for a pen and her own Biology notebook from her school, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Ryu turned around to see a smiling red headed boy with blue eyes.  
  
"Hello I'm Hiro, aren't you starting school a little late?" asked the boy, Hiro.  
  
Ryu laughed, "Hey I'm Ryu, no not really if I started next year I would be to late for what I'm here for."  
  
Hiro raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"  
  
----------  
  
Miki walked into his first class and sighed, it was a Friday a great day but the day that also seemed to drag on not letting the weekend come. Miki started walking to his desk when he saw that at the seat next to his, sat a brown haired girl. Miki stopped walking his heart skipped a beat like he was seeing a ghost, the girl who's back was to him wore a blue shirt, obviously she was new and didn't have her uniform yet. Her brown hair was shoulder length and in two low pigtails. Miki shook his head it couldn't be who he thought it was, it couldn't be Ryu. Just then the girl turned around to finish retrieving stuff from her backpack. The girl's left arm lay on the desk it was adorn with a purple and white bracelet. Miki looked down at his own left wrist that sported a similar bracelet. A bracelet made on a late night with it's mate so many years ago. Miki saw what he dreaded, her eyes, her emerald green eyes, only one girl had those eyes.  
  
"You!" yelled Miki quickly filling the space between him and the desk which Ryu sat. Ryu looked up at Miki and tried to smile, "What are you doing here! In my class, in this wor... What are you doing here!?"  
  
Ryu tried to stay calm obviously Miki was just surprised, "Here to see you."  
  
"What would make you think I would ever want to see you again?!" yelled Miki taking his seat next to Ryu and pulling out the Biology book.  
  
Ryu hesitated she couldn't speak of the Spirit world here in Miki's class, "Umm... Your aunt said so"  
  
"Yuumi? Well she was wrong! You pushed me, you separated me from my parents!" yelled Miki tears hovering in his eyes. The class bell rang.  
  
Ryu now was very angry at Miki, "What about me? Miki do you think I want to be here in this wor...School? That day I could no longer return! Your just so spoiled little brat who doesn't realize that even if your parents weren't pigs and you stayed with them then none of you would be able to return here!"  
  
Miki forgot that they were supposed to be in class and that his whole class was looking at him and Ryu, "Do you know what it is like for everyone to assume your parents are dead when they are something worse, pigs? To live with your aunt and uncle?!"  
  
"Of course I do, that is my life too Miki my parent are with yours and I live with my aunt and uncle!" yelled Ryu a few stray tears sliding down her face she never expected such painful words.  
  
"But they aren't really related to you Sakura!" spat Miki angrily.  
  
"I can't believe you! Sakura? You never called me that, you always knew who I was. Are you that mad at me? When I came to..." Ryu spoke in a strange calm. She looked into Miki's eyes those yellow eyes they told her the truth he was furious. She could see the dragon rage in Miki's eyes, a very peculiar thing for a human.  
  
"For What?!" Miki spat out the words each dripping with pain and hate.  
  
Ryu looked strait into Miki's eyes and smiled a half smile, "To bring you back of course."  
  
Miki was shocked all his rage drained from him and left gilt, and longing for the Spirit World, for his parents. Miki's eyes never once left Ryu's, until Mr. Tsuni broke their gaze.  
  
"Hey you two! Am I going to have to move one of you, or should I just send you to the headmaster and detention after school today?" said Mr. Tsuni.  
  
"No that wont be necessary Mr. Tsuni," replied Miki with a bow.  
  
"Yeah sorry for postponing class sir," apologized Ryu also with a bow.  
  
"Good. Now class open your books to page 112 and read pages 112 to 120," said Mr. Tsuni. The class complied and opened their Biology books to page 112, it was review for the test.  
  
----------  
  
The bell rang singling a five minute break before they started their next class. Miki quickly left the biology room, leaving Ryu behind to decode her class schedule. Ryu made her way slowly to the door looking at the small piece of paper that she didn't at all understand.  
  
As soon as Ryu stepped out the classroom door she was embraced into a big hug. Ryu looked up at her capturer and smiled when she saw the messy dark brown haired, now tanner skinned, yellow eyed Miki.  
  
"Did you really mean it? Are we going back?" asked Miki hopefully. He finally took a good look at Ryu, in their embrace he could tell she was still strong. Her hair was shorter only chin length something Miki thought would never happen. Ryu still wore her hair in pigtails but they were not at all childish that actually gave her a playful, sexy look, not her only feature that add to this look.  
  
Ryu nodded, "Tomorrow. Now where is our next class?" Miki laughed and started walking down the hall Ryu at his heels. The peanut gallery was nothing less then confused to see Miki and Ryu at each other's throats one minute and hugging the next.  
  
----------  
  
When school was finished Miki and Ryu walked out of the school together. Miki looked at Ryu with a sly secretive smile, "So do you want to go swimming? I assume you have your bathing suit."  
  
Ryu looked shocked one for the point that Miki knew she had her suit, and remembered how she loved to swim. Ryu also longed to go swimming, Asuko and Yoshi barely let her go, knowing that Ryu could sleep the day away on the bottom of the ocean floor. Ryu just flashed Miki a big smile, "I would love to." Ryu then thought of Miki and his fright of the water, but it was him who suggested it, so Ryu said nothing.  
  
"We'll go to the pool, it's warm enough outside I don't think anyone will be there and you can stay underwater as long as you want, "Said Miki as they walked into a big brick building basically across from the school.  
  
"How did you know I had my swim suit?" asked Ryu as they stepped up to the front desk.  
  
Miki held out one finger to Ryu saying that he would tell her in a second, "Do you have your school ID? It's cheaper, and do you want to swim for one or two hours?" Ryu pulled out her wallet and followed Miki's lead and handed the man behind the desk her school ID. But before she could answer Miki's second question he told the man they would swim two hours and he paid for both of them.  
  
As they walked towards the changing rooms Miki answered Ryu's question, "Well I figured a half river spirit who loves to swim wouldn't leave the house without a swim suit. Oh and don't worry about paying me back, its my apology for yelling at you earlier."  
  
"Thanks, I'm sorry as well, let's just forget it," said Ryu as she walked into the girls changing room.  
  
----------  
  
Ryu walked out of the locker room with a discussed look on her face, she had never gone to a pool and never smelled the chlorine that was mixed in the unnatural blue water.  
  
Ryu noticed that Miki was waiting for her on a bench on the wall, she also noticed that Miki was right and they were alone, everyone would rather to swim in a lake in the sun and not in the blue of this water. Ryu smiled at Miki and walked over towards him.  
  
Miki smiled at Ryu she was wearing a blue and green tie-dyed bikini, "Are those your favorite colors blue and green?"  
  
Ryu smiled actually her favorite color was yellow the color of Miki's eyes, but she wasn't about to tell him that, "Yeah, and is orange your favorite color?" Ryu countered pointing at Miki's swim trunks.  
  
"Well actually no, I was just in a hurry this morning and couldn't find clean boxers," said Miki.  
  
Ryu looked disgusted for a minute before she started to laugh, "Well come on then!" Ryu walked to the steps that went into the shallow end of the pool and slowly walked into the pool each step brought her deeper, each step made her skin scream for fresh water, for air. But Ryu ignored the feeling hoping it would go away. She turned around at the bottom of the steps and looked up at Miki.  
  
Miki was looking paler then before and you could see a slight fright in his eyes. Ryu smiled and held out her hand to Miki, "Come on, don't worry. I'm here, you wont drown."  
  
This though truthful hurt Miki's pride she was the girl, and she was younger, he should be the one saving her. Ryu realized what she had done and just smiled swimming into deeper water.  
  
"How long after you eat must you wait before you go swimming because you know I ate fifteen minutes before we got here and I don't want to get a cramp and drown, "said Ryu as she stopped in the middle of the deep end and treaded water.  
  
"A half hour, "replied Miki, walking around the pool towards Ryu's position in the pool. Before he finished his sentence Ryu was splashing about 'trying' to stay above water. Ryu sank under the water and didn't reemerge, "Come on Tea that's not funny!"  
  
Ryu stayed under the water a few bubble signaling that she was no longer holding her breath rose to the surface, Hurry up Miki! This water burns my lungs! thought Ryu struggling to breath with the chlorine.  
  
Miki suddenly got worried forgetting that Ryu could breath under water. After a hesitant minute that Miki used to gather his courage, he jumped into the water not far from Ryu. Miki swam to the bottom and grabbed a hold of Ryu's waist then he swam both of them to the surface. Ryu's mouth was open and her eyes were closed Miki swam her in to shallow water without a proper life saving grip (Miki being afraid of water never took life guarding classes).  
  
When Miki could stand as well as Ryu (He hoped) Miki propped Ryu up, "Come on Tea wake up."  
  
Ryu's eyes fluttered open theatrically and she smiled, "Miki you saved me, My hero!" Miki dropped Ryu she fell into the water and then quickly resurfaced kneeling so the water came up to her chin, "Hey!"  
  
"Hey what? You disserved that! I thought you were in trouble, I thought you were going to die. And now I remember you can breath underwater!" yelled Miki and then he turned and started to walk out of the pool.  
  
Ryu caught Miki's arm, stopping him, and turning him towards her, "Miki wait I'm sorry. But you really did save me, this water suffocates my skin, burns my lungs and stings me eyes, I was beginning to think I was really going to drown. And I really am sorry that I tricked you, but I'm grateful you came over you fear of water and saved me. Now please stay here with me in the shallow water and we'll talk and swim a little. " Miki sighed and walked out of the pool, "Hey Miki, please come back I really am sorry!"  
  
Miki walked over to one of the bins full of pool toys and pulled out two swim noodles, "I know, but the shallow end is for babies. So we can use the noodles and relax in deeper water." Miki walked over to the pools edge dropping a purple noodle near Ryu and then continuing on foot to the deep end. Miki threw his noodle in the water and then jumped in landing on his noodle. "So Tea how are your cousins doing?"  
  
Ryu finished swimming over to Miki and looked at him with a smile, "You mean Kawatarou, and Morio, the dragons? Well since they didn't have a river or forest of their own, about a year ago when the force field changed so that humans could leave the Spirit world and Spirits could enter, they got a job as towel boys at Aburaya. They clean up and do the laundry. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Just curious, so what is with the force field?" asked Miki.  
  
"Oh well after you left the force field came back so that spirits could leave the spirit world and humans could enter. I am stuck on the side I stand, which was the Human world. Anyways a year ago it started to switch who could leave and who could come, about every week it switches again. Tomorrow humans can enter. We are hoping if I walk in with a human, you, then I can return," said Ryu.  
  
"Ok, well we should be going let that skin of yours breath," replied Miki swimming to the side and pulling himself out of the pool. Ryu followed suit and they walked towards the changing rooms, placing the noodles back in their proper places.  
  
"So what are we doing tonight?" asked Ryu before going into the changing room.  
  
"Dreaming of tomorrow."  
  
"Sounds great."  
  
Author Note: Yeah well there is nothing to say so I hope you liked it and I would greatly appreciate any input. And does anyone know why I can't use the squiggly lines anymore? Merci!  
-Na 


	9. Return Home

Ryu's Trip to the Human World  
  
Part 2  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author Note: Happy Reading!  
  
-Na  
  
Chapter 8: Return Home  
  
Early Saturday morning Miki woke up and cooked a quick breakfast of rice and scrambled eggs. Then he thought about packing up some clothes, but he quickly remembered the 'revolting' human smell, and settled on waking Ryu up who was sleeping on the living room sofa.  
  
"Hey Tea wake up," said Miki while gently shaking Ryu's shoulder.  
  
Ryu rolled over with a moan and slowly opened her eyes, "What time is it?"  
  
"6:00, now come on I made breakfast, and then we'll go home," said Miki turning and walking towards the kitchen.  
  
Ryu sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She threw the blanket off her and the sofa before standing up and stretching, "But you are home Miki."  
  
Miki whirled around, he glared at Ryu with rage almost Dragon rage. He was ready to slap her, he wasn't home, the only home he got to ever know after the move was an orphanage, and what felt like a true home because of his parents was the Spirit World and Aburaya.  
  
Miki looked at Ryu and realized that she probably didn't have a good night's sleep on the sofa, and didn't realize what she had said. Miki took a few breaths suppressing his anger and continued into the kitchen followed by Ryu.  
  
They sat down at the table and ate breakfast in silence. Afterwards Ryu got dressed in the same clothes as she wore the day before. Miki thought about leaving without Ryu as he watched her take out her school stuff. Unlike Miki, Ryu packed a few things, her bathing suit, a hair brush with extra hair ties from Kaonashi, and good bye presents from friends and 'family' left unopened.  
  
Miki was just about to bolt out the door with out the 'annoying little brat' Ryu, when she beat him to the door. Ryu just stood there in front of the door waiting for Miki. Miki sighed inwardly and followed Ryu outside and to the bus stop.  
  
The bus ride to 'Ryu's' town only took ten minutes or so and they bus dropped them off rather close to the road that lead to the Spirit World. As soon as Miki and Ryu got off the bus Ryu grabbed Miki's hand in a firm grip. Miki looked at Ryu questionably.  
  
"I need you to return, and since I figured you didn't realize you need me to help your parent. I also figured you might try and leave me behind, which wouldn't be nice," simply said Ryu. They walked in silence through the woods. Both had plausible reasons to hate the other, reasons they would have if given the chance use to fuel a life without a word to the other. But they also had a common goal, and as much as the each would love to leave the other behind. The simple truth of the matter is they need each other. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' right? Well unknowingly the enemy of Miki was the sorcerer, and the enemy of the sorcerer was Ryu (and vise-versa).  
  
The red building loomed before Miki and Ryu, they both stopped walking, and Ryu like a child clung to Miki's arm. Miki had to admit it that the tunnel looked scarier then when he had seen it last. And defiantly scarier then when he was five.  
  
The statue that when Miki first saw it was covered completely in moss so the face could not be seen. Now the moss was cleaned off to reveal the face, the once smiling face. The face before was smiling and it made it hard to tell if it was a warning or a welcome. Now the face was evil looking, and scary but strangely looking at it gave you the feeling to continue into the tunnel.  
  
The red building that was usually old looking but always had a fresh coat of paint. Was now just old and rotten, the most likely cause being that, due to the force field the building couldn't be maintained.  
  
So now as Miki and Ryu coward in front of the browned building, a smell of death reached their noses, with an over lay of rich food, food for the gods.  
  
Miki knew the food and the smell of death, and knew that they came from the birth place of his fear of water. But there was no water now, he knew not to eat the food of the gods, and both his and Ryu's parents were on the other side. It was time to return home.  
  
Miki started to walk into the tunnel quickly as he could with Ryu clinging to his arm. In no time they were facing the force field, Miki hesitated. Ryu spoke quietly, "Walk slowly because it might not have switched and you don't want to get knocked unconscious. And if I cann't enter, you can't, got it?"  
  
"Ok," replied Miki taking a deep breath and slowly walking forward. The force field didn't react at all to Miki, but the red ripples formed around Ryu. After a minute of pulling and slow walking both Miki and Ryu reached the other side safely.  
  
Ryu let go of Miki and turned to face him she was grinning ear to ear, "We're home!" Ryu said with a squeal as she jumped into Miki's arms.  
  
Ryu quickly let go of Miki when she caught sight of a sleeping dragon just out of sight of the gate. Ryu quickly walked over to the dragon and bent down near its head, "Kawatarou!"  
  
With a jerk the young blue tinted silvery white dragon with a blue mane, opened his blue eyes and in a matter of milliseconds changed into the blue eyed, brown/green haired eleven year old boy wearing the gray and navy blue Aburaya uniform that was identical to the one Kohaku always wore.  
  
"I... uh... I'm sorry I know I'm not supposed to change to my dragon form. I... it is just I couldn't sleep and I, umm... I wont do it again, please don't tell my uncle and aunt, and Zeniiba, please," replied Kawatarou as he stood up, keeping his head to the ground in a respectful bow.  
  
"I wont tell Granny if you fly us over this field and directly to my parent's room," replied Ryu with a smile.  
  
"Tea?!" replied Kawatarou looking up at Ryu and hugging her.  
  
Ryu hugged him back, "I missed you too Squirt. Now how is work going?"  
  
Kawatarou let go of Ryu and sat in the grass, Ryu and Miki both sat in the grass by Kawatarou to hear the news of the Spirit World.  
  
"Work? Ok, I just can't stand having to stay in my human form, you know. But Granny says that I have to because workers with the exception of Uncle Haku can't change forms," replied Kawatarou.  
  
"How are my parents?" asked Miki.  
  
"Still pigs," replied Kawatarou, but after seeing the look of sadness in Miki's eyes, "But there are a lot of humans that were turned to pigs, there is even this eleven year old girl with black hair and gray eyes, who's real name is Hana but we have to call her Ani, she works at Aburaya. She came with her brother and foster parents, her parents were turned to pigs and her brother a piece of coal. I can't stand her she is lazy and doesn't do her work, and she follows me around."  
  
"Yeah Hana, Tanaka and her were at the same orphanage as me... and Tea. Her brother Tanaka always did the work for her. But why can't we call her Hana?" replied Miki recognizing Ani.  
  
"Because if she is like you say she is then the Spirit World would be in trouble if she was free before she could return to the human world with her family. It sounds to me Kawatarou that she likes you. And coal you say?" answered Ryu.  
  
Kawatarou looked sad. He was not the people person his brother was. Kawatarou preferred to be a dragon and alone. But out of the twins Kawatarou was the cuter of the two. Morio with his brown/green hair and eyes was talkative and out going, developing an attitude like his mothers. His soft features another from his mother didn't contrast to the dark hair and eyes. Kawatarou on the other hand with his soft kind river blue eyes, and shy, yet sunny disposition, made him look simply adorable compared to his twin brother.  
  
"But why me?... and yeah coal. After a month of the force field change, people who walked across the bridge unaccompanied by a spirit just turn into coal. Tanaka you said? Was the first. But not long after we had a pile of non-burnable coal along with a whole stall full of uneatable pigs. And now we have to face another week that human's can come here. Well it's not to bad that you two came, but still," said Kawatarou.  
  
"Why you brat! I'm just as much dragon as you are!" replied Ryu hitting her younger cousin.  
  
"Oh is that so, then why do I need to fly you two over?" countered Kawatarou.  
  
Ryu swung an arm around Kawatarou, "Because my boy you don't want Granny to know where and what you were sleeping as, and I don't want to walk."  
  
Kawatarou sighed and removed Ryu's arm from his shoulder, "I better not get in trouble for this, I'm only doing it because you two haven't returned home in seven years." Kawatarou turned into his beautiful shinning dragon form.  
  
Ryu carefully climbed onto her cousins back and then motioned to Miki, "Come on Miki you can trust Dragon Kawatarou, just as much as my dad Dragon Kohaku." Miki just nodded and climbed onto Dragon Kawatarou's back behind Ryu. Kawatarou sarcastically rolled his eyes and cringed under the weight before taking to the skies with incredible speed. Ryu had missed this feeling of flying for seven years, while Miki had tried to forget it.  
  
It wasn't long till they landed on the balcony that lead into Kohaku and Chihiro's room. Kawatarou quickly changed to human form, said good-bye and jumped down to a balcony one floor below, to return to his own sleeping quarters.  
  
Ryu silently slipped through the already open door that lead to her parents room, followed closely by Miki. Ryu was surprised to find both her parents sleeping, though Kohaku was only in a light sleep.  
  
Ryu motioned to Miki to join her by the bedside. Then Ryu turning to a demeanor of a younger Ryu said rather loud, "Mommy, Daddy wake up I want to go swimming!"  
  
Both Kohaku and Chihiro opened their eyes to see Ryu smiling at them. In a matter of seconds them two overjoyed parents were out of bed and hugging their daughter.  
  
Miki stood to the side jealous, Ryu was in her parents arms, while he still wasn't. She had waited seven years, he nine, Miki saw no fairness in this at all. Once again a dragon rage bubbled in Miki.  
  
Miki's dragon like rage boiled for the remainder of the day, as Ryu was reunited one by one with 'family' and friends. Not a soul gave recognition to the tag-a-long Miki.  
  
The last person they visited was Ryu's great-grandfather Kamajii. Apparently he was also Miki's great-grandfather, because he greeted Miki the same as Ryu. Kamajii had made it easier for Miki to suppress his anger. But pent up anger eventually will explode.  
  
Miki was staying in Ryu's room. But the extra mat that Miki had once slept on was being used. So Ryu offered Miki her bed and she would sleep on the floor. Ryu was so happy and it looked like to Miki that she didn't care that he was depressed.  
  
"Aren't you glad to be back?" asked Ryu with a smile laying out an extra blanket that according to Zeniiba she was lucky to have. With the Spirit World problems Aburaya had an abundant amount of workers.  
  
"No," replied Miki in a sour tone.  
  
Ryu looked confused, "Why?"  
  
"Well let's see here, I spent the whole day standing around watching everyone gush over your return, my parent are still pigs, I haven't seen my parent so I don't even know if these spirits ate the or not, yeah that's enough to make me not want to be here," answered Miki laying down on Ryu's bed.  
  
"What!? You can't be serious! You've been talking about returning for the past few days! And now since you didn't receive attention all day, you hate it?!" yelled Ryu, "and another thing Granny is personally making sure that your parents aren't eaten!"  
  
"Are you sure about that? You just got back, and you couldn't even do it alone. You don't belong here! Or in the human world! Your nothing, your not Spirit, or Human, you're an it!" yelled Miki sitting up in the bed.  
  
Ryu was now crying, she got up and tackled Miki between sobs and punches she managed to say, "You don't belong here at all, your just some lowly magick less Human , who is a coward that's afraid of water! A self centered brat who can't think that other people may have problems that are more pressing, or worse then your own!"  
------------------  
Kohaku and Chihiro leaned against the wall that separated their room from Ryu's. "I think we should go stop them before they kill each other," said Chihiro a little worried.  
  
"I think they will be too tired to fight in a minute or two well before either gets hurt, give them five minutes Chihiro," replied Kohaku.  
  
"I saw it in his eye Kohaku, dragon rage, he could fight for years on dragon rage. But why does that human boy have dragon rage, is something I don't understand," said Chihiro still worried.  
  
"I don't know, maybe he was a dragon in a past life, a dragon's soul, with a dragon piece of mind, is hard to change no matter what it has for a new body. But I don't know," said Kohaku starring off into space giving Chihiro's question deeper thought. There came a strange calm from Ryu's room.  
----------------------  
Miki stood back to Ryu's bed, he had given it up to Ryu. And after the mess they had created with clothes, papers, and of Ryu's now torn going away presents. They would have to share the bed. But Miki wasn't about to give in.  
  
Ryu sighed she felt really bad Miki had a point she should have brought him to his parents. But now Ryu had to calm down Miki to reassure him that she cares and was sorry for her actions, which she was.  
  
Ryu grabbed Miki's hand and pulled him towards the bed, "Miki I'm sorry, you were right I should have brought you to your parents, I should have included you more today, I shouldn't have assumed that you would know that Granny has been doing everything she can to help your parents. I know now if it were my parents I would be afraid I wouldn't be able to recognize them, or that some one would eat them. I'm sorry Miki, we'll do what you want tomorrow, but right now lets go to sleep."  
  
Miki didn't reply he just turned of the light and slipped into the bed next to Ryu. He fell asleep well before Ryu his arm around her waist. Ryu didn't go to sleep right away and she hadn't once let go of Miki's hand. New question's burned in her mind, that stalled sleep for what seemed like hours till her tired muscles one and she fell asleep.  
------------------------  
"Kohaku don't go in there!" said Chihiro stopping Kohaku from going into Ryu's room.  
  
"She is thirteen and is sleeping in some boys arms Chihiro!" replied Kohaku.  
  
Chihiro gave Kohaku a look of understanding, "I know you're her father, and this is what fathers do, but this is Ryu, and the boy is Miki. You know you can trust both of them. Ryu only held his hand to calm him, and he is holding her to stop or slow at least, her fears from quelling. Besides Ryu doesn't know what love is."  
  
"What do you mean, doesn't know what love is? She is our daughter, she lived with Yoshi and Asuko. She has been surrounded with people who love each other and her," replied Kohaku sitting on the bed.  
  
"She never saw it, never took it to thought. With us she was too young and always off somewhere. With Yoshi and Asuko her mind was here, her thoughts, everything. You have to see it and be aware of it when someone loves you or you wont know it. To her love wasn't important, except love for her parents, she never learned or understood any other love then a mild love for family. Don't forget Miki's dragon rage, dragons aren't known to love very much, no offence. He doesn't love her, or know what love is. They are both alien to that feeling. So you mustn't worry."  
  
Author Note: My definition or Dragon Rage: extreme anger, and rage. When you could have sworn that you saw fire in the persons eyes.  
  
Just to tell you people if I ever use quotes from the move Spirited Away, they will never be direct quotes. Yes I own the movie but in Japanese and German. So I do my best to translate stuff from German to English(which isn't hard but for example in English: I'm cold German: Ich habe kalt (I have cold) see it's the same meaning but said with different words) so for example in the movie Kohaku in dragon form was called 'Drache Haku' or Dragon Haku in English, so basically I'm going to use that in referring to the form of characters such as Kohaku, Kawatarou, Morio, and Mishu-Kapi.  
  
Isn't this a cliffy of a end, well not really but it makes you think like 'What's up with Miki?' or 'What is actually happening to make more people work at Aburaya?' and if you weren't thinking before, I bet you are now. Ok does anyone know why I can't use the sqiggly line and whay this line (-) goes away and I must redo it in the 'Quick Edit'? and how to fix it? Have fun!  
-Na


	10. Nightmare

Ryu's Trip to the Human World  
  
Part 2  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author Note: Really short chapter, beware... but sadly if you have been reading this story you still need to read this chapter. Happy Reading!  
  
-Na  
  
Chapter 9: Nightmare  
  
"So you are killable little one," said the voice of an evil man covered in darkness, his voice dripping with distain as he gripped the orange collar of Ryu's uniform. She didn't see the knife but she felt it, she felt her soul being ripped from her. With Ryu's last bit of strength she looked past her murderer to a pile of corpses. There were bat monsters, shadow warriors, Wish Sprits, and dragons. She gasped in pain and fear for her family; her father crying over her mother, Kawatarou chained to a wall trying to fight his way to his brothers side. But it was too late Chihiro and Morio were dead, Kawatarou and Kohaku dying, and a insane horrified Miki in the corner shaking violently.  
  
Ryu woke up the next morning at about 11:00, the most likely reason being her lack of sleep the night before and the nightmare. Ryu was strangely calm as if it was not a nightmare but the truth that will no longer be, because she saw it. She sighed seven years with a human schedule, was going to be hard to break, and a plausible cause for the nightmare. But her mother had done it and her father never sleeps so she guessed that it was no big deal.  
  
As Ryu rolled over she realized that she wasn't at all alone. She had completely forgotten Miki and his warm arm that was still draped across her stomach. She smiled he was peacefully sleeping and not in a state of shock.  
  
Ryu picked up Miki's hand that she had let go of in the night and shook the boy awake, "Ryu!" Miki screamed as he bolted up in bed, with in seconds in a cold sweat and shacking.  
  
Ryu gripped his hand tighter and said in a calming coo, "Shh... Miki it is all right, I'm here. What happened?" but strangely she didn't need to ask she knew. In her nightmare he looked insane and in shock, but he had saw the whole thing.  
  
"That...that man he killed you and ate your soul," Miki cried.  
  
"It was just a dream Miki, don't worry I'm still here," Ryu answered, but she herself was beginning to worry. Maybe it was real or would be, maybe it was there destiny to die at the hands of that man. He doesn't even give his victims a chance at an after life, because he eats there souls. Ryu shuttered at the thought of such an evil man. And the feeling of being watched over came her, they had to get out and into fresh air, "Come Miki I'll take you to see your parents."  
  
-----------  
  
The sorcerer mimicked his latest victim or meal as he would say. It was a fun loving spirit who never seemed to be let down. It was a powerful spirit that would prove to be a great asset of strength, power, and well as money. His last good meal for awhile. The sorcerer had already eaten the bat monsters into extinction, shadow warriors, and Wish Sprits (exception of Gingko that is still unknown to the sorcerer). After the consumption of this spirit the sorcerer had figured that his power would be strong enough to enter the world that the creature Kaonashi originated from. The sorcerer wanted to stop eating his own kingdom's people, for if he ate everyone who would he rule?  
  
The river god Kawa no Kami frowned at the sorcerer, as he thrust the small black blade into the god. Kawa no Kami didn't flinch, didn't even move for a second, and then without notice he whipped his tail at the stunned sorcerer before he shot into the air and out of the door.  
  
The sorcerer was furious, he had no idea why the blade had not penetrated Kawa no Kami, why he wasn't able to extract and feast on his soul.  
  
The wind laughed, or the invisible wind spirit laughed as it whispered the wish made for the love of life by a dying Wish Sprit, 'I wish someone could stop him before he takes another life', "Wishes from Wish Sprits don't come true and even if they did, it doesn't help their own kind!" laughed the sorcerer. And then the wind spoke some jumbled mess about the Soul blade. The angered sorcerer thrust his blade at the wind spirit, to only receive a laugh. Candle light reflected of the blade and the sorcerer instantly dropped the blade to the ground.  
  
His black gothic Soul blade was incapable of reflecting light, "No! where is it! Where is it!" the sorcerer screamed in rage as he tipped chairs and tables in the dungeon area.  
  
A single large snow flake fluttered to the ground as the table was over turned, the sorcerer stopped his ranting and stared at the snow flake. His blade was lost, but he had found his calling card.  
  
Author Note: Short wasn't it, but good right? Can you guess what is going on? Its not at all hard really. Sorry Kawa no Kami fans he'll end up being a little spaced for a chapter or so.  
  
-Na 


	11. To Where the Snow Sleeps

Ryu's Trip to the Human World  
  
Part 2  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.  
  
Author Note: Really short chapter, beware...Again. Happy Reading!  
  
-Na  
  
Chapter 10: To Where the Snow Sleeps  
  
"So where have you been hiding all of these years?" asked a short old woman.  
  
"None of your business Yuyaarikii, now tell me the sprite is alright and can send the Little Ones to me," said a snow white spirit.  
  
"But to where, do the Little Ones need to go?" asked Yuyaarikii.  
  
"I may look five but I'm older then you, I'm older then you could even think of. The boy is the only one who can carry the blade and the girl might be able to carry it and is the only one who will find me. So just send the Sprite, she is the last of her kind," replied the spirit.  
  
"Well how are they going to travel the train doesn't go back?" asked Yuyaarikii.  
  
"She has dragon cousins, send one along," said the spirit agitated, as he turned to leave the house of Yuyaarikii, "Oh and I will never return here."  
  
"Why do you always do that? Soon you'll have no place to go! What happened to the child like spirit I knew?" asked Yuyaarikii.  
  
The spirit stopped in the thresh hold but didn't turn towards his host, "So be it than, I would have never showed my face if it was not for the Little Ones. The child like spirit you ask? Died with his sister, I only wish I could as well. Now stop with your questions and leave me in peace!" yelled the spirit as he stormed out of the door.  
  
------------  
  
_"Little one... Oh Little One..." said a voice.  
  
Ryu looked around she was on a snow covered mountain though the Cherry Tree she sat under was in bloom. She looked at the tree and noticed that it was no normal Cherry Tree but a Snow Cherry Tree. The dark red speckled white cherries were ripe for eating. "Where am I?" Ryu asked, "who is speaking to me?"  
  
"Where the snow sleeps Little One..." replied the voice.  
  
"Why do you call me Little One?" asked Ryu as she stood up and fresh falling snow whipped around her.  
  
"My sister named you Tea so many years ago, she died for you and this world. You are my Little niece and always will be, Little One. Now listen to my words Little One, The Soul Blade can end this, is the only thing that can kill the sorcerer. And in his death his spells will be broken. I have the Blade Little One, here on this mountain. But heed warning the Blade becomes unbearably hot in the hands of a spirit, unless like me and they can freeze the blade. Humans can carry it, and that is what you have to do. Retrieve this blade and stop the sorcerer."  
  
Ryu nodded, and tried to get her bearings strait, but in the snow she couldn't see strait.  
_  
--------------  
  
Ryu woke up in her own bed with Miki at her side, besides being cold she was fine. The last three days had really been interesting, there was the daily fights with Miki as usual and Ryu finally got to see her cousins work, the shy Kawatarou being hounded by Hana.  
  
Ryu got out of the bed and walked over to her desk that contained two piles of clothes one her own and the other Miki's from the human world. Ryu wanted to keep them in the back of the closet, while Miki wanted them at hand when need. It was a constant fight between the two and now that Miki was asleep she could put them were he wouldn't find them.  
  
Ryu picked up the two piles of clothes and opened the closet door, she began to move around the random junk in the corner so she could hide the clothes. She threw them on the ground and recovered them with junk. Ryu closed the closet door and walked back to the desk. There on the floor by the chair was an old piece of paper. Ryu picked it up she thought that it must have fallen out of one of Miki's pockets .  
  
She began to unfold the delicate paper, but a hand ripped it away from her grasp before she could read it, "Hey, I wanted to read that!" said Ryu as the sour Miki shoved the paper in his pocket.  
  
"Hey nothing, that was mine and you had no right to read it," replied Miki, turning his back to Ryu.  
  
Ryu thought for a second and then remembered that the paper did look familiar to her. Ryu smiled as she took out a similar old piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. With a sly grin she spoke, "Oh well I don't need to read it I bet I know what it says: 'Friendship Contract- Miki Natsuki and Ryuichi Teataura Nushi will be best friends forever, and will die together. So neither will be lonely or scared.' And it is signed by both you and me. Am I right? Is that what the paper says?"  
  
"Yeah! so?" said Miki, still back to Ryu.  
  
"You kept the contract, you don't hate me, you want to stay my best friend, you want to die with me, its so sweet really," replied Ryu with a smile.  
  
Miki turned around and walked towards Ryu stopping centimeters from her, "I could say the same thing about you."  
  
Ryu smiled, "You are right there, so we are both at fault."  
  
"Oh no Tea there you are wrong did I ever say you guessed correctly?" said Miki in a hateful voice, Ryu looked at him she was sure he had agreed that it was the contract he snatched away, "I kept it, for the future use of blackmail if the opportunity showed itself."  
  
Ryu was speechless as Miki laughed an unpleasant laugh. There was a knock on the door, followed by an Aogaeru voice, "Zeniiba wishes to see you two."  
  
-------------  
  
Ryu and Miki arrived in Zeniiba's office still without a word to one another. In the office was Zeniiba, Kaonashi, Kohaku, Chihiro, Morio, Kawatarou, and a Wish Sprite.  
  
"Well I'm glad all of you are here, Gingko has something to tell you all," said Zeniiba.  
  
Gingko sighed, "Yes well seven years ago, my people were attacked by a sorcerer he captured my people, I luckily escaped. I lay dying in Kniknichmai for a year or so. Knowing I could never return home when I was better I stayed with Yuyaarikii. Recently I learned the truth the sorcerer used the Soul Blade and ate the souls of my people. A Spirit stole the blade and has given Ryu, Miki and one of the twins the task of retrieving it so you can stop the sorcerer."  
  
"I don't understand," said Chihiro.  
  
"Don't worry mom, I do. Miki, Kawatarou, and I will go to where the snow sleeps," replied Ryu.  
  
"Why him, I want to go!" complained Morio.  
  
"Yeah why me? Let him go," added Kawatarou.  
  
"Well one of you is our ride, and must stay in dragon form most of the time," said Ryu with a smile.  
  
"I'll go!/He can go!" said the twins together.  
  
"But why do the children have to go?" asked Kohaku.  
  
"A spirit can't hold the blade without getting burned, but a human can no problem. And Ryu is the only one who knows were to go," answered Gingko.  
  
"Anyway Chihiro you can't go, you work here and need to work, same with you Kohaku. Don't worry I trust the kids and I hope being a dragon for a while will get it out of young Kawatarou's system," said Zeniiba.  
  
"So where are we going exactly?" asked Miki not really addressing Ryu, but she was the only one who knew the answer.  
  
"To a snow covered mountain where Snow Cherry Trees grow," replied Ryu.  
  
"That leaves only one place I believe..." began Zeniiba.  
  
Ryu smiled she, had heard the legends of her uncle, and knew what she had seen in her dream, "Ice Mountain, in the Lonely Mountain Range. Far past Swamp Bottom, past Kniknichmai, past Stein and the Dark Forest. The hardest place to reach as a group, and all not that far when you are alone physically and at heart."  
  
"Who would live there?" asked Chihiro.  
  
"Saki," replied Kohaku.  
  
Author Note: Yeah I hope you liked it, I'm sorry it took a bit to post and what not. I hope you enjoyed and liked the twist, if you didn't catch the hint... What race is the sorcerer? Just throws a whole knew element into the mix. And I'm not picking favorites with Kawatarou and Morio I'm going with their characters and therefore Morio would rather be in a human form while Kawatarou dragon form. So what did you think?  
  
- Na 


	12. Truely Alone

Ryu's Trip to the Human World

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.

Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait on the update. Went to Self Defense Camp, came home from Switzerland took a week to unpack, went to Mass for a while and then a family week long cruise to Bermuda my first chance to write I swear. Please forgive me. Happy Reading!

- Na

Part 2

Chapter 11: Truly Alone

The hardest place to reach as a group, and all not that far when you are alone physically and at heart...

What should have been a two to three-week journey including the reasonable stops and breaks was cleared in little less then a week and a half. Ryu believed that it was because Saki willed it. Kawatarou knew the truth or the most likely truth, why a group of three was currently flying over the Lonely Mountain Range.

Kawatarou had been a loner of sorts for his whole life; it was his brother that received the outgoing aggressive people skills of genes. He knew why the mountains came fast for him he was alone at heart, and semi physically. He thought of his dear cousin and Miki not a word to one another, not even a 'good morning', or 'pass the rice balls'. Kawatarou knew that both were to blame, but it was Miki who crushed Ryu's spirit. They were in denial, betrayal crossed their minds, and sadness weighed their hearts. Making both lonely and oblivious. Kawatarou almost faltered his flying to make them sit closer together, besides it would be more comfortable.

Kawatarou sighed he'll do it another day right now it was to late to be flying. Kawatarou slowly descended to one of the mountains in this range, Ice Mountain was much farther down the chain, another day's flight.

Miki calmly and silently gathered wood for a fire not saying a word to the distraught and distant Ryu with each passing day her signature flare and bounding energy dwindled. Ryu just sat at the edge of their plateau and stared at the waxing moon.

Kawatarou surprisingly in his human form sat next to his elder cousin and for a moment said nothing to her. After breathing in the beautiful silence and serenity of the moon, he spoke never once looking at her, "Tea, please speak with me whatever could be wrong?"

There was silence till Ryu finally spoke in a soft crying whisper, though this strong girl would not shed a tear, "I don't know, he hates me Kawatarou, he would prefer to be alone than to talk with me, it hurts," Ryu pulled the old contract out of her pocket and struggled to slip her hair tie bracelet off, "Here take these, he wishes he never met me, and to no longer know me, since he is my best friend I will grant his wish." With all of her strength it did not help the demigod child, a single tear fell and landed on the contract and then a second, before Ryu handed her most prized possessions to Kawatarou.

"Tea don't do this, please..." replied Kawatarou as he refused the items.

Ryu smiled as another tear escaped, "I'm in tears Kawatarou... me crying, crying over a boy..."

Kawatarou understood as he took the items to hand, he was about to reply to Ryu when Miki yelled, "Kawatarou can you help me make a fire?" Kawatarou looked back at the boy who bade his presence and then back to the girl who never frowned, she who did not cry, now a broken heart, and an empty shell. She nodded.

Kawatarou joined Miki at the fire circle that Miki made. The problem was lighting it and Miki didn't fare well with flint. "Here hold these," said Kawatarou hand Ryu's possessions to Miki and picking up the flint.

"What are these?"

"Tea's she says if you wish to see her no more so be it."

"Good.... Why is it wet, it isn't raining?"

Kawatarou stopped he stared ahead not noticing the flame that began to burn, "They are... tears."

Miki froze, as sadness and guilt filled what was left of his already broken heart, "But she doesn't cry."

"To loose a love, would even make the old Yu-Baaba cry, gods rest her soul."

"So I guess I'm truly alone now," replied Miki in a whimper.

Kawatarou sighed, "And so is she. I don't understand why you both cannot just apologize. I have half a mind to force an apology and renewed friendship upon you two. It's obvious she loves you enough to give you what she believes you want, and I know you love her just the same. Why do you do this to yourselves?" Kawatarou turned around but Miki had turned and walked away in depression after the first sentence had been said.

In the distance he heard a whimper from Ryu as she sat alone, "I'm sorry Miki, I'm sorry... please forgive me." Kawatarou hoped that Miki had heard it but sadly he had not.

----------

Ice Mountain came up fast and Ryu with a little amount of enthusiasm pointed to the Snow Cherry Trees of her dream. Kawatarou landed in the powder snow as the wind whipped their faces on the surprisingly clear afternoon.

Ryu and Miki slipped down off of dragon Kawatarou's back. Ryu slipped in the snow and fell backward landing on her butt in the freezing white powder. She cursed herself banging her fists to the ground at her sides. And to Ryu's surprise a hand was offered to her, without looking up she took it.

Ryu was pulled up and she brushed herself off before she looked up at Miki, Ryu was frozen (metaphysically), "...Thanks," was all that Ryu could say.

"Little Ones!" said a cheerful voice walking towards them. When the snow spirit was all but a meter from them, Kawatarou and Ryu bowed.

Ryu addressed her other cousin with respect, "Legendary and most wise Shigekazu Sawaguchi, you summoned us."

Saki stared at her and burst into laughter, for that moment a flicker of the old 'five year old' Saki was seen, "Such formalities Little One, I am nothing great to behold, and you are not my servants. So how are Aunt Sen and Uncle Haku? Well I hope all is well, and his parents as well no change in condition, same with the family of little dragons 'girlfriend'? No worries Little Ones when you kill the sorcerer all will be well."

Saki hand the Soul Blade to Miki who stared at the knife in shocked bewilderment, he softly stuttered, "K... ki...Kill?"

Author's Note: Such a short chapter for such a long wait, sorry. I hoped you enjoyed it.

- Na


	13. Battle

Ryu's Trip to the Human World

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.

Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait on the update. Please forgive me. Happy Reading!

- Na

Part 2

Chapter 12: Battle

The battle with the sorcerer came sooner then any of the three children had thought. Miki and Ryu were now on speaking terms if you consider 'good morning' and 'could you please pass the rice ball,' speaking terms. For their flight home Miki clutched the knife still in shock that he must kill a man.

The truth of whose mission remained unknown, the bases of the truth were one of the three Kawatarou, Miki, or Ryu would have to kill the sorcerer. Which one remained a secret.

An ominous cloud loomed over Aburaya as the trio approached. As a result of the impending doom that seemed to radiate off the bathhouse, Ryu backed up into the warmth of Miki, she shook slightly, "I'm sorry Miki, I'm sorry, and I wish to amend everything because we are surely going to our deaths."

A hand slipped around Ryu's waist and in it held the contract and bracelet. Miki whispered in Ryu's ear as he held her ever tighter, "I'm sorry Tea I truly am. If we are to go to our deaths can't have you with out the contract that ensures we die together."

They silently landed on the ground and Miki and Ryu dismounted Dragon Kawatarou, who stayed in dragon form. After assessing the quiet of the bathhouse as usually for the daylight hours. Miki and Ryu climbed back onto dragon Kawatarou's back and he flew to the balcony of Chihiro and Kohaku.

Dragon Kawatarou reluctantly changed into his human form and entered the abandoned room after Ryu and Miki. Ryu's heart skipped a beat as she saw that the weapons of her parents were missing. What were left were three lightweight swords that the kids picked up. They headed cautiously out of the door and down the hall to the entrance of Aburaya where there was once a fight against Saki the old women.

And sure enough there was were the battle loomed, an army of dead bat monsters and wish sprites vs. the workers of Aburaya in the center fought Chihiro and Kohaku against who was assumed to be the sorcerer. Some of the slain workers were already rising from the dead to fight their friends.

Without wanting to the enemy forces drew in Kawatarou, Miki, and Ryu into the fight. Kawatarou was rather skilled with a sword and was sad to see in the corner of his eye Morio struggling. Kawatarou quickly beheaded the bat monsters and leapt to his brother's aid.

Ryu faired the same as Kawatarou and slowly killed dead opponent after dead opponent on her way to her parents. Miki hesitated not skilled with a sword and not able to bring himself to kill. Ryu spared him a glance and yelled back, "They are already dead Miki, Kill them a second time and let them rest in piece!"

On those words Miki made a fumbling sweep at a Wish Sprite, and a wave of pure satisfaction overcame him as he hit his mark and the Sprite dropped to the ground. Miki stood up tall and proud, but the pride didn't last long he tripped over the body and was sent sprawling to the ground.

Everything seemed to go silent as the sound of spinning metal glided across the floor. When it stopped Miki looked up to see the cloaked man who was the sorcerer. He bent down and laughed as he picked up the Soul Blade. His laugh sickened Miki as he looked apologetically at Ryu, "Thank you little boy,' his laugh filled the air again as he made swift movements towards Ryu, "I'll repay you by feasting on the halfling!"

Almost everyone in the room screamed "No!" as Ryu was lifted into the air by her neck in the sorcerer's left hand. The right poised high blade at the ready. Everyone was frozen excepted two.

Ryu kicked at the sorcerer who laughed. In pure anger Miki ran and grabbed at the arm holding the knife Miki tried to pry it from the evil hands. The sorcerer laughed and plunged the knife at Ryu. Out of nowhere came Dragon Kawatarou he bit the arm holding Ryu.

Out of luck everyone would say the events unfolded. Ryu was dropped to the ground but thanks to the momentum of the sorcerer's attack and Miki's weight the knife made a grand arc and plunged itself into the gut of the sorcerer.

His soul left his body as the soul tat he had digested exploded from his body in a bright light. When the light disappeared not a dead body could be seen. The workers looked around stunned.

All but one worker that is... Ryu rubbed her neck and stood up her mischievous smile back. In a matter of seconds she grabbed Miki's hand and ran from the building with speed to rival her parents. She ran through flowers and cornfields and ran into a building filled with confused people. Right at the front were Ituki, and Toshi Natsuki.

"Mom! Dad!" yelled Miki as he went running into his parent's arms. Ryu was smiling ear to ear.

Author's Note: Such a short chapter for such a long wait, sorry. I hoped you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think!

- Na


	14. My Life in a Nut Shell

Ryu's Trip to the Human World

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.

Authors Note: Happy Reading!

- Na

Part 2

Chapter 13:My Life in a Nut Shell

_I was so happy that day when I saw that Miki's parents were human again, but a pain struck me deep in my heart this was good-bye once more. The pain in my heart I didn't know what it was, I couldn't explain it, so I said nothing._

_All the humans that had been lured to the Spirit World under false pretenses forgot everything, except Hana. While everyone including Miki (Who still harbored memories) returned to the human world with the strangest dream of their lives and missing years from their lives. It was decided that Hana and her older ex-coal brother Tanaka were to stay in the Spirit World. Since they were already orphaned and Hana had held her position for some time. _

_I was utterly surprised when Kawatarou (sneaking around once more in dragon form) brought Miki back to Aburaya after just two weeks. The story was a strange one, his nine-year pig parents remembered being pigs and knowing it wasn't just a dream. So I made the mistake of talking to them often right after I saved Miki's life. How was I to know that all my talking would affect their memories? It was Miki's parent who brought him back, Miki's parents who told him that it was the Spirit World that he belonged to. I can't say that I was sad oh no quite the contrary I was so happy it felt like the other half of my heart was returned to me. At the time I didn't understand such feelings, but as time went on I did._

_The only people I have to miss now are Au'Suko, Uncle Yoshi, Aunt Rin, Uncle Shu, Morio and Kawatarou. Yeah that's right my little cousins stopped working at Aburaya, and it was all thanks to Au'Suko, and Uncle Yoshi. It hadn't been long since Miki's return when a forest was planted, by my aunt and uncle, earning the name Mori no Morio (Morio's forest) instead of a new spirit being born I think by the act of a few drops of Aunt Rin's blood being poured onto the ground of the new forest Morio who was born forestless had his own forest. Kawatarou on the other hand while visiting his mother's forest, was caught in a huge rainstorm creating a river around where he had laid to sleep that night (heavy sleeper the rain didn't wake him) Kawatarou 'drowned' and the next morning adjacent to the Mishu-Kapi river running through the Rinako Naoko forest was the Kawa no Kawatarou (Kawatarou's River)_

_Nothing has really changed since that day so long ago our last great adventure. Or so Miki and I thought. We had other adventures though none were as life threatening as our own, and we were never separated. One such adventure was the human baby left at the Spirit World gates that I myself found. Miki and I adopted her and dubbed her Mikiri because she was abandoned like her name said. A few years later turned up our newest adventure Chiryoku a boy of wisdom, and strangely after that the miracle Fukashigi no Gyakuryuu or basically adverse tide's miracle which she was someone, the tide that opposed nature in her very existence._

_I can't wait to see what life has in store for Miki and I now that today is Miki's 22nd birthday._

Ryu smiled in her sleep she was dreaming sweet dreams. Ryu was in the same room she was always in with the exception now was that the 21-year-old Ryu had a permanent roommate that she loved and would never leave his side. The sun shone in that window and highlighted Miki's face but being used to the routine of sleeping during the day and working at night for the last eight years, it did not stir him.

Even the soft pitter-patter of six running feet entering the room, did not budge the sleeping couple. As the three small children slowly climbed on to the bed Ryu and Miki slept on, it wasn't till the five-year old Mikiri started to jump up and down her violet eyes sparkling, and her reddish-brown hair falling every which way in a snarled mess did Miki and Ryu stir.

Miki who was half asleep yanked on the ankle of Mikiri to cause her to fall down laughing into the bed sheets, at the sound of her laugh the younger sibling started to jump.

Ryo sat up in bed grabbing the nearest jumping child the two year old, Gyakuryuu. Placing Gyakuryuu in her lap, Ryu started to brush her fingers through the bouncing two year old's soft chocolate curls her yellow eyes smiled, and Ryu smiled back at her daughter one of two the only two that had those color eyes. She suddenly turned her attention to the energetic three-year-old boy his long black hair and green eye made him resemble his grandfather Kohaku. Ryu laughed as Miki tried to continue and sleep, "What is the meaning of this? Huh Chiryoku?"

"Happy Birthday father," replied Chiryoku and Mikiri.

Miki smiled, "All right, all right I'm up, I'm up!" Miki rolled noisily out of bed as he slunk towards the door, three children in tow. Miki and the kids stepped into the Aburaya hallway and headed towards the kitchen.

Ryu took her time getting out of bed watching the retreating backs of her husband and children. Slowly she followed out into the hall, thinking, Y_es, no more life threatening adventures, but adventures all the same. Just because high stakes of life aren't on the line, doesn't mean that life is an adventure. _

Author's Note: If you didn't understand why Gyakuryuu was a miracle (yes Fukashigi no Gyakuryuu is her full name) Ryu is half human half river god, she shouldn't be a live, but since she is, she should being the same boat as her parents only to have one child, but she had two. The End. I hoped you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think!

- Na


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